Farore's Love
by Wavebreeze
Summary: When curiosity gets the better of Farore, she can't help but break the rules and leave the sacred realm and go to Hyrule. She soon discovers that she is in love with a human and that the consequences may be too much.
1. Proluge

Prologue

When the three goddesses descended upon the land and created Hyrule they had gone back up to the heavens where they were to live forever in the sacred realm. Up there, high in the clouds and away from mortal eyes, they would protect and watch over the lives and lands of their world. They would follow the sacred code given to them by their father, master, teacher, and creator. In order to become true goddesses they would have to learn each of the lessons that he, Deus, taught them. There were things from magic, to growing livestock, to creating the weather. There were other things like how to teach the people of Hyrule love and sorrow. They must learn the important lessons that every being must know.

One of the greatest duties was to protect the land and the hidden power within it. This was a sacred power that lay within the three goddesses – the triforce. They were told to never leave the sacred realm or else they risk causing trouble among the world. If anyone were to recognize them and know of how to get that power for themselves…great consequences would occur.

That's why in the sacred code the first rule was to stay away from the humans, to never, ever go near them. And the goddesses respected that rule as much as they respected Deus. They never went onto the land they created many years ago, not once had any of them ever set foot on its grassy surface.

But then I did. I broke the most important rule.

The Sacred Realm is like a giant hidden city. On the outside there is woods that go as far as the eye can see and waters that seem never ending. Mountain peaks dig into the sky and grassy plains flood throughout the land. This is called the Borders because it circles the city like a protective barrier. The sky is one of the most breath taking effects. In the daytime it's full of soft white clouds outlined in a golden glow. The sky is a mix of calm oranges, pink, and yellow. It resembles the setting sun. At nighttime the sky dissolves into light purples, blues, and sometimes-even streaks of faded reds. There are million of stars that dance among the night sky.

In the middle of the sacred realm is the largest city in the world. Here is where the dead souls live, but they prefer to be called the new lives. In this city there is no hunger, violence, or feuds. Everything is peaceful and the new lives can watch their loved ones who are still living among the earth. If they do not enjoy city life then they are welcomed to live on The Borders.

In the center of it all is the most magnificent palace. It's bigger than four Hyrule Castles combined and a hundred times as beautiful. It's made out of the smoothest white marble stone and surrounded by the prettiest plants. Its main shape is of a hexagon but only has four towers. These structures pierce the sky like a knife and are placed in certain corners to create an imaginary square. Past the large stone doors there is the most stunning garden. A calm river wraps around in a circle between the inside and the palace walls. A small, arched wooden bridge is placed in front of the main doors to the ones that lead into the inside. Gorgeous plants outline the river. There are purple and blue azaleas, cherry trees, roses, tulips, some forget me nots, and so much more. A little ways away there is a wooden gazebo that lies under the branches of a giant weeping willow. That garden is my favorite spot of the entire sacred realm. It's absolutely beautiful.

Inside the palace is closed off to everyone. This is where the three goddesses live; this is where I was raised.

My name is Farore and I am the goddess of courage. I have two sisters named Din and Nyru. I live in the sacred realm in a palace.

I broke the sacred code.

The people of Hyrule think they have the legends straight but they actually don't. They say that right after we created Hyrule we went back up to the heavens. That's the complete opposite, though we did go back up, only later.

Once the land was created our power faded and we grew weak. We each ended up in different locations and found by different people. A widow Zora discovered Nyru along the shores of Lake Hylia. A Gerudo woman found Din lying in the sad in the desert. A Kokiri found me in the deepest part of the lost woods. Each one of us had a special necklace tied around our necks. They were all exactly the same, a golden circle with the triforce embedded onto it hanging from a dark red ribbon. When our founders laid eyes on the symbol they traveled across the land and all met up at the Temple of Time. With my sisters and me there the Door of Time opened up on it's own. Our father, Deus, appeared from the Pedestal of Time. He thanked our finders greatly and told them whom they had saved. He told them that we would forever watch over them.

And we did.

When they died we granted them all wishes. When my Kokiri died she wanted nothing but to protect her home. We both knew that living forever was not possible for her but she proposed the idea of sending her spirit into a great tree that would forever protect Kokiri Forest. I agreed to the idea and sent her spirit into a gigantic tree, which is now known as The Great Deku Tree. Though he is the spirit of my founder he doesn't remember what she remembers. As another gift I created the Kokiri's Emerald and gave it to her.

When the Zora past she wished nothing but to watch her domain in peace within the sacred realm. Nyru couldn't help but give her something anyways. She created the Zora's Sapphire and passed it done to the Zora. The Zora though decided to give it to the next line to the throne and forever it would pass down from there.

Din's founder was a bit more complicated. She was a gerudo and no gerudo could be trusted with such a gift. She knew this the moment she received it. At that time feuds were rising between the Gerudoes and the Gorons. In a symbol of piece, she gave her most prized possession to the Gorons and from that day on it was known as the Goron's Ruby.

Deus was a god from a different land. When he found us again he told us that it was tradition for a god or goddess to create a new world and new protectors when their land is dying. Once we were eighteen we would rise as the true goddesses of the realm and, though it was inevitable, Deus would sadly die. Though goddess years and human years are different from each other, I was able to keep track of them both rather well. I thought I would be more responsible when I became of age, but I wasn't anywhere near that.

There was something that Deus taught us that I'd always remember. We were sixteen and having one of our lessons. Nyru, Din, and I were sitting on the wooden benches inside the gazebo as Deus gave his lecture. I remember everything about that lesson. Nyru sat upright and fully alert on everything he was saying. Her long, straight azure hair draped over her shoulders nicely. A blue forget me not flower was tucked in behind her ear. She always had one in her hair somewhere. In the back of her head was a silver clip with flowers embedded onto it. It didn't really do much for her; just make her lovelier than she already was. Her blue eyes were full of knowledge and wisdom as she stared up at Deus. A soft wind ruffled her pale blue dress. It was of the finest silk and was split in a V at her shins. She gave a small shiver for her dress was sleeveless. She was beautiful, her skin was perfect and her figure was the way any normal girl would want it. I knew though that we were all amazingly pretty, we just didn't stand around and admire ourselves all that much.

Though Nyru was completely focused on the lecture Din was pretty much the opposite of her. She was pretty, yes, but she was the biggest tomboy I had ever seen. Then again, I don't really get out much. She resembled a Gerudo warrior. Her clothing was the exact same as a Gerudo though it was made of the same silk. She was the best fighter out of all of us but the slowest on things, but she was rather smart. Her long, dark red hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a golden ribbon. She leaned against the wall of the gazebo with her legs stretched out in front of her and her ankles crossed. She paid attention to what Deus was saying though she couldn't help but give occasional strayed looks around. I remember her crimson eyes meeting mine and giving me a small wink for no reason. Though most people think red eyes mean evil her heart was pure like all of ours. The red also matched her dark, tan skin very well. She was just as beautiful as Nyru, only in a different way.

Another wind blows and some strands of my light forest green hair dance around in my face. I use my hand and tuck my hair behind my ear. When my hair is hanging down it looks a lot like Nyru's except the accessories she always has in her hair. At that moment my hair is tied in a loose ponytail with a green ribbon. It hangs over my right shoulder and stops halfway to my waist. Most people would think my eyes would be green but they are actually the bluest eyes anyone has ever seen. Deus once told me they are blue to resemble the softest of the sky and the depths of the oceans. Ever since then I loved my blue eyes. I'm also wearing a dress of silk; it's a pale light green that matches my hair nicely. It's almost the same as Nyru's (I guess you can say we have very similar taste with things) except it doesn't have the cut in front of my shins; it just falls to my ankles and stays there.

"Mortals are not like us," Deus says in a proud, matter-of-fact manner, "They do not have as much wisdom as we do to be able to outsmart their enemies. They do not have as much power as we do to overcome their foes strength. And they do not have as much courage as we do to face their biggest fears.

"The humans are weak minded and many other gods and goddesses think very little of them. They enjoy playing around with them as they sit upon their throne and laugh. You three though will not do such a thing because you are following the sacred code and in the sacred code it clearly states that you do not meddle with the humans. Of course you are allowed to help anyone every once in a while but you cannot control a humans life forever. Do you understand what I am getting at?"

To no surprise, Nyru nods her head, "Humans are not as clever, strong, or brave as us. That is why many gods and goddesses think of them as play things but we will not believe that because we follow the sacred code. We will only meddle in a humans destiny when it is called for."

"Precisely," Deus smiles, "You will not mix in with them but you may think of them however you like. As long as you follow the code, you are doing your job right."

"It seems like most of our code is based off of the humans," Din mumbles, thinking aloud again.

"It is," Deus says, "many times problems have happened because of interactions between the gods and the humans. That's why the most important rule is to never, ever go among the humans."

When that lesson finished and My sisters and I went to go watch the humans from above, I could see why the other gods and goddesses thought so little of them. I can't believe some of the things they were scared of! Some lady jumped out a window because a Daddy Long Legs was on her shoe. When she stood up outside it was still there. We all laughed at that and Nyru said it was the dumbest thing anyone could ever do.

As I watched the humans for the next two years I began to think little of them. They were not strong, smart, or brave but I still loved them with all of my heart.

When those two years were up my sisters and I were finally eighteen. We could officially become true goddesses.

We went through the stone door and into darkness. We were told to keep walking until we found the symbol on the triforce. We walked for five minutes when Din stubbed her toe on something. The moment we looked down the triforce on the ground began to glow a golden hue. Realizing that this was the thing we were looking for, Nyru walks to the top of it and stands in the top triangle. I walk to the bottom right and Din goes to the bottom left. All around us is dark gray fog and behind that is blackness. The only light is the one radiating from the triforce. I finally spot a silhouette coming towards us. The glow quickly hits him and Deus walks into the middle of us.

He turns to Nyru and places to fingers on her forehead. In a deep, powerful voice he says to her, "Nyru, you are full of wisdom and knowledge. You see through the lies of your enemies and solve the riddle in the puzzles. You're mind is the most powerful tool to you and your weakest. Due to your wisdom you will most likely listen to your mind more than your heart. That is why I give you a special gift that you will be able to pass down to anyone you wish. I give you the gift of Nyru's Love."

The tips of his fingers start to glow cobalt blue and it seems to sink into her mind. There is a small flash of blue from his fingers and when it's gone, Deus and Nyru are standing there, facing each other with his hands by his side.

"Not only must you listen to your mind but you must also listen to your heart. You must have the wisdom to learn love or else you're true power will never rise within you. I, Deus, father, master, and creator of you here by give you the power of a true goddess. From this day forth you shall be Nyru, Goddess of Wisdom." He clamps his hands together and bows deeply to her. She returns his gesture with a bow of her head as we were told to do.

He turns to Din and places two fingers on her forehead as well, "Din, you are full of power and strength. You can overcome the opposing problem's force easily without too much trouble. Your might is the most powerful tool you posses though you must pass it down to another one day. You must share your power with the one who needs it most so; he too, can beat the odds. That is why I give you the ability of Din's Fire." A fiery glow evolves from the tips of his fingers just like when he gave the gift of Nyru's Love. There is red flash and now Din and him are standing across each other with his hands by his side.

"I, Deus, father, master, and creator of you here by give you the power of a true goddess. From this day forth you shall be Din, Goddess of Power." He also puts his hands together and bows down to her. Din follows the suit of Nyru and bows her head in response. He straightens up and turns to me.

His fingers are hot when they're placed on my forehead and his voice travels threw me like water in my veins.

"Farore, you are full of courage and bravery. Against all odds you are able to go complete your task even though something you fear the most is behind that very door. Though your courage is one of your amazing gifts it is also a weakness. There will be some things that need to be waited on or are just not worth it. You mustn't feel that by going against things the frighten people will make you any stronger. There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity. That is why I grant you the gift of Farore's Wind." A green glow escapes from the tips of his fingers and blinds me. All I can feel is the magic of my newfound gift flowing throughout me. I suddenly know all about it and how I will trade it off to someone in need of it one day. This sensation doesn't last long because it is gone as fast as it had arrived. There is a green flash and then I'm left standing there looking at Deus.

"Though you are brave you must also be wise and know when to flee. Just because you are willing to do it doesn't mean that you will succeed. With this gift you will only become more courageous, wiser, and stronger. I, Deus, father, master, and creator of you here by give you the power of a true goddess. From this day forth you shall be Farore, Goddess of Courage."

He places his hands together and bows down to me, just as he had done to Nyru and Din. I close my eyes for a moment as I bow my head back to him. When I straighten back up and open my eyes he is already walking away.

We knew that there was nothing we could do - it was inevitable. Deus walked out of the middle of the triforce mark and into the gloom. The only thing we could do was watch him walk towards his death and hold back tears. He gave all of his power to give us the gifts and the power of true goddesses. Now he must walk into the fog towards death and go to a place where only the dead gods and goddesses know of.

I had looked forward to that day for so long and yet I wished it would never come. I loved that day and yet I hated it. We both gained and lost something dear to us.

We all secretly and silently promised him that we would remember everything he ever taught us and follow each one of the rules.

This is where our story begins…this is where I break the rules.


	2. Chapter 1 Curiosity

Chapter One – Curiosity

It's been two weeks since Deus died and we became true goddesses. I thought that I would love my time with my new title but I'm utterly and completely bored. Without lessons or studies, there is nothing for me to do. Din is always practicing combat or offensive magic spells. Nayru can easily be found in the library with her nose in a book. I can always be found in the gazebo doing absolutely nothing.

That's what I'm doing now. Sitting. Bored. Nothing. To. Do.

I release a long, anguished sigh and lay across the wooden bench on my back. Turning my head to my right, I can see the steady river flowing around the palace. There is a mirror image of all the plants in the water. I've stared at the same view for the past two weeks and I'm really getting tired of it.

Come to think of it, I've never been anywhere outside of this castle. I've been to the city and the Borders but nowhere else. I've never felt the rain pound against my skin and I've never had my teeth clatter because I was cold. I've never felt the roar of thunder send chills through my body and I've never rolled in the freezing snow.

I've never felt those emotions I hear about. I once read a book that told of a love story and I was so into it. Not only was it well written but it told me of these feelings that the humans have. I knew love wasn't a myth, but the way they said it in this book seemed to be so far away from here. I could never feel love unless I was some place else and I couldn't just leave the sacred realm saying I'm looking for love.

Din once told me love was stupid. It made people weak and think things they normally don't. She said that if love could be controlled it could be a very powerful weapon.

Nayru was disgusted by the idea. She argued to Din about how love made people stronger and it should be respected and cherished. They fought over that for a long time and even though it was five years ago, they still bicker about it once in a while. They always argue about things so I'm not so worried about that.

But can goddesses feel love? Will I ever feel these feelings? Will I ever feel the joy and pain that the humans know?

_I bet the humans aren't bored. They're always doing something useful._ I think in my head sadly, remembering how bored I am. As much as I hate to admit it, I sometimes wish that I could be human for at least a day. So then I can do what they do and feel those feelings. I can't help it, I'm terribly curious to see what they're like close-up.

_I could go; I could go into their world…_

I shove the thought away the moment the words come into my head. If I went, I would break the sacred code! I wouldn't even be doing anything useful, just wondering aimlessly around.

_You could do something useful; you could help people._

I try to push it away again but I find myself drawn in by the idea. Of course, I could just go into the realm and secretly solve some minor problems! I'd go somewhere that Nayru or Din wouldn't think of. Some place like…like the Port! It wasn't created till recently when Hyrule wanted to trade with other countries. They found a good docking area south east of Lake Hylia. It would be the perfect place for me to go! In fact, I could go now…

I don't give it a second thought, I'm far to excited. Throwing myself off the bench I go running towards the river. I fall to my knees on its flower filled bank and lean over the water. I can see my anxious expression reflecting off the water. My green hair is mostly behind my shoulders except for a thick strand on each side of my face that rests in front of my ears. I'm surprised to see that I'm wearing the same dress that I wore the day Deus told us of the humans two years ago.

This thought quickly passes my mind and I continue on to what I was doing. Making sure no one is watching, I give a few quick glances left and right. Satisfied, I concentrate on the water. It doesn't take long until I can see a bird's eye view of the Port's busy streets. People are running this way and that, everyone trying to get out of the rain.

Rain…so much I wish to feel it on my skin…

Now I'm fully caught up in my plan. I use my magic and a black cloak wraps itself around me. I threw the hood over my head and take one last look at the palace before my body starts turning into silver sparkles and glides down into the portal.

The quiet sounds of the garden grow louder and transform until I'm listening to the sound of the city. A little ways off I can hear a horse's hoof beats travel across the cobble stone ground and the turning wheels following behind it. The constant rain continues to fall and it drums against everything it touches. I can hear the bustling people and some yelling in the distant.

Now I can feel the wet stone underneath my feet and the rest of my senses quickly meet up with it.

The rain feels so strange. Little wet droplets blow on me and splatter against my body. I'm surprised that they don't hurt by how much speed they're traveling. I open my eyes wind to have the rain blow into them. I instantly close my eyes again and use the side of my hand to rub it away. When I open them back up again I go slower and keep my eyes squinted. This time I can make out the scene around me.

I'm standing between two buildings on the side of the street. In front of me the horse-drawn carriage that I heard earlier rolls across the wet road. Across the street, a woman is dragging a little boy by the ear and yelling at him as she does so. I look up at the sky and can't help but be amazed. I've never seen such dark, threatening clouds before in my life. They cast shadows across the entire city and make it all look so gloomy. The rain pours from the clouds like a bucket into a tub. Though I know most people hate rain, I just fell in love with it.

A few moments later of staring up at the sky I finally force myself to bring my head back down to the things around me. On the other side, a couple dash down the sidewalk and run into a building. I look at the sign above and read 'Port's Tavern' written across the sign in fancy, squiggly letters. I don't have any idea where I'm going to go so this seems like a good place to start. Besides, I've never been inside a tavern before.

With these thoughts in my head I step out of the ally and onto the sidewalk. Looking both ways I see that the cost is clear and I can go. I step off the stone concrete and strode across the cobble stone road. To my right I hear the sound of an on coming carriage and I pick up my pace. I quickly reach the other side and start towards the tavern. I wrap my hand around the doorknob and push it open. The tavern's musty smell envelopes all the other scents of the city. I take a cautious step in and gently close the door behind me. While I'm slowly walking forward, I pull down my hood and take in my surroundings. Laughter and chatter drown out the pounding rain. I hear a piano begin to play to my left and I can no longer hear the outside world at all. In front of me is a long bar with wooden stools lining it. Most of the spots are taken by talking men. Three bartenders, two guys and a girl, go as fast as they can behind the counter. Between the bar and me are two rows of tables. Each one is the exact same as the other, a square, dark wooden table with four matching seats. Most of the tables are taken up by small groups of people. On the right wall are three, large circular tables. Instead of four chairs they have eight and each one of those tables are taken. On the left wall is a cheap, old piano being played by a rather solemn man. Another man is lying in a heap next to the piano with an empty beer jug resting in his limp hand.

I roll my eyes at him. I don't get what's so great about beer; it only makes you sick and gross. Why would people do that to themselves?

Forgetting about the drunken man, I walk up to the bar. I pick a seat isolated from the rest at the end of the row and sit down. Instantly, a bartender is standing in front of me and smiling his crooked toothed smile. The lanterns hanging on the walls shin on his shiny, baldhead. He scratches his shaggy, gray beard and asks as he does so,

"May I get you anything miss?" His eyes never really seem to meet mine; they keep going down to something below my head.

"Water would be nice please," I say politely but he shakes his head and continues to grin.

"Water's to boring, how about I give you some nice, cold beer. I'll even hand it to you on the house, how's that?"

I look into his eyes and concentrate. It's obvious he is thinking something rather mischievous. My mind easily penetrates his weak one and I see right into his thoughts.

"_She has a real nice figure there, I'd love to have some fun with that. I have no chance with her unless I manage to get her drunk-,"_

"Thank you, but water is good," I say bitterly, anger flaming through me.

"Are you sure-,"

"Positive," I snap at glare at him. For the first time her takes his eyes away from my lower half and looks me in the eyes. Thank goodness he catches the hatred in my eyes and scurries away to fetch my water.

_The nerve of some people-_

"Sorry about that," a woman's voice penetrates my hostile thoughts. I look up and see the woman bartender placing a glass of water in front of me. She tucks a strand of loose brown hair behind her ear and smiles kindly at me, "Here is your water. Don't look so mad though, guys will be guys. Surely you're used to men throwing those kind of things your way."

I look at her with confused eyes, "How would I be used to that?"

She looks surprised by my answer and stammers, "Oh, well…its just that…you are quite beautiful and a-attractive."

"I am?" I can't help but gasp slightly.

She nods her head and mumbles a yes then engrosses herself in conversation with another customer.

I push the thought out of my mind and sit sideways in my stool so I can look around at the other people in the bar. There is a suddenly loud bust of laughter at one of the circular tables. No one else seems to notice because they are all to interested in their own conversations. I, on the other hand, am curious to see what they're talking about. Using the magic that I applied to the male bartender, I go inside their minds and listen to the conversation.

"That lady just feel right off of the dock," one of the men gasps between his snorting laughter.

"S-so a seagull just flew in front of her and she…_snort…_went flying into the water..._snort, snort_," he can't help but laugh while he's talking. Every one of them starts cracking up again at the memory. I can easily tell that some of them had a little too much beer.

"Didn't your sister jump out a window because there was a spider on her shoe?" one of them asks the snorting man.

The rest start saying things like "Oh yeah" or "I remember that" and they all start laughing again.

A small smile crawls its way onto my face and I give a little chuckle. Somebody taps me on my shoulder and I look to my left. A rather large man in a dirty white shirt is leaning on the side of the bar and smiling down at me. He passes his fingers through his curly black hair and says as he does so in a gruff voice,

"May I get you a drink?" Out of the corner of my eye I see another circular table of men all staring at us. They start whispering to each other and pointing.

"No thank you," I respond politely with a fake smile on my face.

"Are you sure 'bout that?" he asks, hope dying in his eyes.

"Yes," I respond in the same tone and take a sip of my water.

"O-OK," he mumbles and walks back over to the table full of pointing men. They all give a little laugh and then send their next contestant over.

_You got to be kidding me-_

"Hello," the tall, skinny man grins down at me and also leans on the side of the table.

"No thanks," I groan and then I get up and march towards the door without one look back.

Outside, the pounding rain has turned into a soft drizzle but the sky is still as black as ever. I don't bother with my hood and begin to walk down the sidewalk. The streets are completely empty with only the light of the buildings to guide my way. I take in a deep breath of the moist, damp air. It feels good to get some fresh air than the musty one in the tavern.

_I'm never going in there again._ I grumble in my head. Almost everyone there is drunk and they all seem to want to buy me drinks. One drink is good enough for me! I don't need more!

I shake my head at these thoughts and turn the corner. Something pushes me from the side and I fall hard against a wall. My feet slip a little but I'm able to hold myself up and stand. In front of me are four drunken men walking towards me. I recognize the one in front with his shiny baldhead and gray beard.

"How's it going, sweet cheeks?" he grumbles and then twists his arm to my behind and squeezes my butt.

I gasp in surprise and anger instantly flares through me. "Get off of me you mutt!" I scream at him and push him away. He stumbles backwards but then starts walking towards me again with his buddies forming a half circle around me. I press myself farther against the wall, hoping that somehow I can melt into it and away from the menacing men.

"I bet you wish you had some of that beer I offered," he grumbles again and then places his hand around one of my breasts. I slap his hand away and go to scream again when he slams my wrists against the wall. I struggle for a moment but fail to escape and realize that I am trapped. "Don't worry," he chuckles "try to have some fun." He starts leaning in to me and I yell at him in vain,

"Get your dirty hands off of me!"

Of course he ignores what I say and leans in closer. I can feel his gross breath against me and I'm sickened by the smell of liquor and tobacco.

It would be so easy to just use magic against these perverts but then I risk having my identity revealed. Its bad enough that I went onto earth but it would be even worse if I used magic in public here!

"Leave me alone!" I scream again and all of a sudden something flies from above and crashes on top of the dirty bartender. The thing that fell was actually a man! He punches my assaulter in the head and he goes limp. All of his buddies are to shocked to do anything but the man is ready for action. He jumps off of the unconscious bartender and chargers towards one of the men. He stretches his leg and kicks him right in the balls. The stunned man topples over, clutching his manhood. The man wastes no time and smacks him in the back of the head and sends his opponent falling to the ground, also loosing consciousness. Now the remaining two are over their surprise and are charging at him. He waits till they jump up, intending to land on top of him, but he rolls under them and onto the other side. The two men stumble across the ground for a second but then spin around to face him. The instant they turn he stretches his leg up high and kicks them both in the face. They go falling backwards, cradling their heads in their hands.

The man forgets about them and starts running towards me. Without a word he grabs my hand and starts pulling me after him as we start running.

"Thank you for-," I begin to say but he cuts me off in a panicked voice,

"No time, just run." I sense the urgency and let him drag me through the twisted ally ways and narrow passages. We jump over puddles and weave around running rats.

Five minutes later and I've had it; I want to know where we're going and who this guy is. I know that I could just look into his mind but…something is stopping me. For some reason, I'd feel terrible if I read his thoughts. Maybe it's because he saved me, I guess I owe him that.

"Where are we going?" I finally ask while we spin around another corner.

"Just keep running." He gasps, out of breath from our run.

Now I'm really irritated. I skid to a stop and yank my hand out of his. He spins around and raises an eyebrow at me. For the first time I get a good look at him. He isn't a man like I expected but is actually eighteen years old. He has short, blonde hair and tan skin. He is dressed in a black tunic with dark gray leggings. His black boots have splashes of mud and dirty water. To top off all of the dark colors, he is also wearing a black, hooded cloak. His eyes are probably the most amazing. They're a beautiful green. I look into them and I'm suddenly reminded of the deep forest and the grass swaying the breeze. They're green like the leaves that cling to the steams of flowers and the tall, mighty trees that stand proudly together. I've never seen such colored eyes and I instantly fall in love with them.

Remembering my previous anger, I snap out harshly at him, "Listen, I know you saved me and all but don't expect me to go running off with you to some random place! Now please tell me where we are going and who you are!"

He is silent for a moment and I see a flicker of panic flash in his emerald eyes. He puts his hands up and says in a kind voice, "I'm sorry but we really need to be-,"

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you answer my questions," I growl at him, my eyes narrowing.

He gives a defeated sigh, "I suppose you do have a point. Alright then, I'm taking you to my room at an inn because if we stay around for to long they will probably call for some help and go after us. The inn is the only place I know of that we can be safe. My name is Jack. Does that satisfy you?"

I ponder this for a moment. Those men sure will be angry with Jack beating them up. It's only plausible that they will chase after us. They are probably already on our trail.

He is waiting for an answer so I nod my approval. He releases another relieved sigh then takes my hand, more gently this time, and starts steering me away again. We travel at a fast jog for a little bit when he slows down to a halt in front of small, square building. It's made of gray stone and is three stories high. We walk towards the door with a brown sign above it. I read black faded letters and come up with the name "Mary Little Inn."

Jack pushes the door open and we step inside. The small room is dim and smoky. On the left wall is an extinguished fireplace with old chairs and sofas around it. On the right wall is a small desk with a woman standing behind it. Jack lets go of my hand and walks towards her. I follow after him and stand behind him as he makes conversation with the young lady.

She flips back her golden hair and smiles at him. "Back so soon?" she asks. For some reason I really don't like her. I don't need to read her mind to see that she is flirting with him.

"Can I just have my key?" he says anxiously, holding his hand out.

The lady notices me for the first time and her eyes turn into a hard glare as she looks at me. "Who's your friend here?"

"Oh, um…this is…um…m-my friend," he stammers, his face glowing red.

"Does 'My Friend' have a name?" she grins, reverting her eyes to Jack.

"May we please just have the key?" I ask politely but my eyes are narrowed and I'm glaring at her. She tosses her hair back again and sticks up her head proudly.

"Fine, here is your key," she lays the gray key in Jack's hand and starts fumbling with something under the desk, pretending like she has better things to do.

He grabs my hand and starts leading me through the door on the side of the desk. We begin to walk through a long corridor of numbered doors and Jack says, "Thanks for helping me out there."

"She was wasting my time," I grumble and shrug my shoulders. He gives a little chuckle then asks with caution in his voice, "What is your name anyways?"

My heart starts racing. Should I tell him my real name or should I make something up. He doesn't look from around here, his ears aren't pointy and Jack is the strangest name I've ever heard.

I regain myself and say in a calm, collected voice, "My name is Farore, my friends call me Far."

OK, so that second part is a lie but if he called me Far then maybe it would draw less suspicion to me.

"Farore," he repeats, "that's an interesting name."

"Is something wrong with my name?" I ask bitterly.

"N-no, not at all," he stammers, his face reddening and I instantly relax. He is just nervous and is from somewhere else, I guess I can't really blame him. "It's just a really nice name and I never heard it before."

"…Oh," I say uneasily "Well I've never heard the name Jack before, where are you from?"

"Really? It's rather popular in my country. I'm from a country called Azmenak. Where are you from?"

I silently curse myself for asking that question, now I have to lie about where I'm from too.

"Some place in Hyrule," I answer and play with my hair.

"Oh," he mumbles and lets the conversation drop. We reach his room, number seven to be exact, and he inserts the key and turns it. The doorknob gives a small _click_ and he pushes it open. I walk inside with him holding the door open. The room isn't much bigger than the lobby. There is a single bed with a cream colored blanket next to a window on the far side and a dresser on the left wall. A tiny desk is stationed on the right wall next to a door that leads to the bathroom.

"Sorry it isn't much," he says while closing the door. "But this is the only thing I could afford."

"Don't worry," I respond kindly, running my fingers along the white blanket. "This is fine."

"Sorry again for dragging you here without much of an explanation. I probably should've asked where you lived or where you were staying at."

"You certainly like to apologize," I point out playfully, casually changing the subject.

He rubs the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, "Um…yeah, sorry."

I give a small little laugh and he joins in when he realizes what he said.

"I forgive you," I say in my joking manner but then grow serious. I sit down on the bed and ask, "So what is the plan?"

"The plan?" he echoes.

"Yes, the plan. Surely you didn't just bring me here for no reason. Wait – you're not going to offer me a drink, are you?"

He chuckles again. This time it's not a nervous laugh but an actual one. I find myself growing happy and I realize I like making him laugh. I'd do it all day if I could.

"No, I won't offer you a drink." He says once he's calm again "but I did have a bit of a plan in mind but I really doubt you'll like it…"

"Try me," I say confidently and he begins to explain.


	3. Chapter 2 Dangerous Plans

Chapter Two – Dangerous Plans

"Well…those men who attacked you were part of a large gang," Jack begins to explain his plan as I sit on the bed and stare up at him "They have been pestering this city for a long time - at least so I've heard. I'm in need of money and the guards are holding a reward for anyone who can get these guys caught. I had this idea that maybe if you would help me we could catch them together."

"You want me to help?" I gasp in amazement, remembering one of the reasons I had come here in the first place. Never would I have thought that I would find a way to aid someone this easily! Now I'm excited and I can't wait till we get to run this plan in to action.

"Yes, but you don't have to-,"

"Of course I will! What's the plan?"

"Really? OK then," he says, surprised, and then continues his explanation "Tomorrow morning I'm going to go tell the guards about our set up and then we're going to go back to the tavern where the bandits can be found at all the time. They'll be sitting by the bar, drunk of course, and that's when I need you. It might be a little too much to ask so that was why I was sort of against doing this but here is what I had in mind anyways. You're going to sit next to the leader and have to find a way to make him assault you. I know this sounds really bad but it's the best I could think of in a short time and I understand if you don't want to do it.

"The moment he attacks you you'll scream and the guards will get a hold of him and take him away. Are you alright with that?"

I look up at him and he looks truly innocent, he is actually on the brink of wincing; probably afraid I'll slap him or something.

"Let me get this straight," I begin in a slow, threatening tone "You popped out of nowhere and saved me from some perverts. Then you practically drag me back and bring me to your _room_ in this inn and ask me to go get assaulted, _again,_ for money."

He rubs the back of his neck and gets a sudden interest in his boots, "I knew it was a little much…"

"And where did you come from anyways? You fall from the sky and start beating up some guys? You're eighteen years old and you came here by yourself, at least that's what I know, and you are some fighting master. I think I'm missing something here, care to explain?" I cross my arms and look him hard in the eye. He takes a step back and a worried look comes across his face,

"I know you're mad but-,"

"Just answer my questions," I groan.

He takes a moment and his worried expression fades away into a fierce, angry one. "Fine," he huffs, "I heard you scream and I went running to the balcony to see what was going on. I looked over and saw him assaulting you. I jumped over the railing and saved your sorry little butt. If you don't like me saving you then you might as well get over it because it's a little to late now."

There is a long silence and all I can feel is our anger radiating off ourselves and on to each other. Surprisingly, I find my fury slipping away and dissolving into guilt. Jack had saved me from having to use magic. He risked getting hurt for me and I just yell at him? What has gotten into me?

I feel my expression go soft and I look up at him sadly and remorse shows in my eyes. I place my hands gently in my lap and toss a piece of my green hair out of my eye.

"I'm sorry," I say softly, "I had no right to yell at you. I should really be thanking you, not demanding questions," I bow my head shamefully and I can feel his confused gaze burn into me.

"T-that's OK," he stammers, "You had every right to be mad at me. I shouldn't have taken you here without your permission and especially ask you to let yourself get assaulted just so I could get some money. I'm sorry."

I look up at him in surprise and see his head also bowed shamefully. I had stereotyped humans; I had thought them all the same – selfish and greedy. More guilt and hurt grips around my heart and I feel terrible thinking those thoughts.

Jack brings his head back up, "I guess I'll take you home now-,"

"Home?" I repeat, "Why would you do that?"

"I thought you didn't want to continue the plan," he responds uneasily and confused…again.

"I never said that," I smile up at him mischievously and a look of relief floods over his face.

"So you're going to do it?"

"I said I would, didn't I?"

He is completely shocked and his big green eyes make me laugh a little.

Then I suddenly and unexpectedly remember my sisters. Then I remember the Sacred Realm and the code that goes along with it.

Then I remember I just broke this code and fear and doubt starts crawling through me. I defiantly can't tell him where I live or who I really am. But if I have to wait till tomorrow morning, then where will I stay overnight? Should I ask for a room even though I don't have any money? Or what if I have to stay here, with _him_, overnight?

I swallow several times as if that will get rid of my problems. I turn my eyes back to him and he is looking down at me with a blank expression.

"There is one little problem…" I start to say awkwardly "I…um…don't have any place to stay for tonight. My home is to far for me to go back now and then come back here again in the morning. So…I have no place to go…"

He also swallows and rubs the back of his neck, "Oh," he says restlessly "Well…you could – that is if you want to…um…stay here for…tonight."

"Are you sure? There isn't much room here…" I look calmly around the room though inside my heart is drumming against my chest as fast as sixteenth notes. I feel myself get hotter by the idea and my palms start to sweat a little.

"That's O-OK…I'll just sleep on the floor and you can have the bed," he continues in his awkward manner and swallows again.

"You're letting me have your bed?" I ask him in astonishment. I'm once again surprised by his generosity.

"Of course, I don't mind the floor. I've done it loads of times," he goes towards the dresser and opens up the bottom one. He brings out a sleeping mat, blanket, and a pillow. I can tell that they are for traveling because of how easily they fold up together. He spreads them on the ground near the bed and removes his cloak. He lays it across the top of the dresser and begins to take off his boats. The whole time he is doing this he shoots quick, nervous glances my way. Maybe it's because I'm staring at him….

I finally get the hint and go to take off my own cloak. I fold it up and place it under the bed. Then I slip off my shoes and place them next to the cloak. I stand up at pull back the blanket of my bed while pretending I don't feel the burning gaze of Jack starring at me. I peer over my shoulder, and the moment he sees me look at his mesmerized face he snaps his head in a random direction, pretending like it was there the whole time.

My mind suddenly gets a mind of its own. I don't even remember doing any magic once so ever. It works its way into Jack's mind and reads him.

_"She's so beautiful…" _his thoughts sail into mine and I instantly yank my power out of him. He seemed completely mesmerized by me a few moments ago, am I really that beautiful?

I look down at myself and remember the words that Deus told me a long time ago,

_"If we were to ever go on the land with the humans you would be the prettiest person in the room – no, the whole world."_

_I can't help but give a little laugh, "I'm not that lovely, I'm the same as everyone else."_

_ Now it is his turn to laugh and he cracks up like it's the funniest thing he has ever heard, "Same as everyone else," he mocks, "No, no, Farore, you are beautiful. You are a goddess and with that comes the looks that will make men freeze in their tracks and stare at you in awe. Each one of your sisters has the same gift as you, though they're not all that hard to use. Just find a man who can't stop staring at you and that's all the proof you need."_

Now I'm mad at myself for popping into Jack's mind because now I know that it is true. I'm a goddess and with that comes unnatural beauty.

I can't help but roll my eyes at the thought of looks and image, I've never given much concern to the way I look, perhaps it was because I'd always look this way.

Now I silently moan for the fact that I can't seem to stop thinking about it. I slide my way under the blanket and lay my head on the stiff pillow. Jack glances at me as I watch him pull out all of his knifes from secret compartments - his boots, belt, cloak, and pretty much everywhere else.

_What in the world is he doing here?_ I think to myself, my eyes narrowing slightly. _So this guy just flew off of a balcony to come save me and now he is asking me to go capture some bad guys so he can have money? Something isn't right, if he had money for all of those clothes, weapons, and a room at an inn then…he isn't telling me something…something important…_

"Are you ready for bed?" Jack's voice cuts me out of my thoughts. He is standing next to his sleeping mat in just a tunic and leggings. I doubt that he always sleeps in that but I can understand why he wouldn't change at the moment.

"Uh…um…yes, I'm ready," I stammer slightly then pull the blanket up farther till it's touching my chin.

"Alright then," he says, finally overcoming his nerves and agitation. He pulls back his blanket and also slides in it. "Good Night."

We lay on our backs starring at each other and both flicking our gazes to the lit candle burning on the wall.

"I-I think we forgot something," I laugh slightly.

"I'll get it," he groans a little bit and starts to get up.

"N-No, I'll get," without even thinking about it I snap my fingers and the light dies away instantly. I didn't even realize that I had just used magic in front of him! Am I so used to using my powers that I can't help but use them in public? First it was reading his mind and now this? Oh, no, this is bad.

"G-Good Night," I stammer nervously and spin over so my back is turned to him. I can feel his stare burning into me and my palms start to sweat, what have I done?

After a long, agonizing time Jack finally mumbles a good night and I hear him rustle around as he turns onto his side. I swallow a big lump and cling on to the blanket like it will some how save me as long as I hold on to it.

_Relax; if he asks about it just say that you're a sorceress. There are tons in Hyrule! _A little voice rings in my mind and I realize, he has a pretty darn good point. Of course, I'll just say I'm a sorceress and he'll want me around even more because of my magic! Though I'll still have hide them in public, some people are just a little to nosy…

With these comforting thoughts I release a stifled sigh and let my eyes close themselves to sleep. My mind starts to drift to all the thoughts of the Sacred Code and my sisters, but it doesn't get much time to think about it because I'm already on my way to sleep.

"Far…Farore?" A familiar voice cuts through my cloudy senses and starts pulling me back to reality. Something starts shaking my shoulder gently and says my name as they do so. I blink my sleepy eyes awake and turn my head to look over my shoulder. Jack is leaning over the bed with his hand lightly resting on me. He gives a small smile and pulls away,

"We're going to go soon, get ready," he tells me in a kind voice, though I can tell he is trying to be demanding. I guess I'm holding him back and he wants to get going. I throw back the blanket and pull out my shoes from under the bed. Slipping my feet into them, I pull my cloak on after them. There is suddenly a loud roll of thunder outside and I give a little yelp. Spinning around, I can see the rain pouring down onto the city below and lightning strike the horizon. It's a flash of blue that aluminates the dark gray sky. It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

"The Goddesses must be pretty mad," Jack says nonchalantly while stuffing his knives back into his secret compartments, "they've been firing lightning and playing thunder since this morning."

I give a silent gasp, "The Goddesses?"

"Yeah, I don't know much about them but I heard someone say that before. Are people here big on their goddesses?"

I ignore the question though because I can barely hear it. This is bad, Din only shoots lightning when she is furious. I don't want to face her wrath when I get home.

_Should I leave? Should I ditch Jack and go back home?_

It makes sense why I should leave but…well…something is holding me back. For some reason I'm reluctant to go, maybe it's that I finally get to feel these new experiences or maybe it's something more…

I shake that lost thought out of my head and continue the silent debate in my head. Jack said _"since_ _this morning"_ so that must mean they haven't found me yet. They might spend a long time searching for me since Hyrule is so big. I guess I have time to forgo the plan.

"Are you ready?" Jack intrudes on my thinking. I give a small nod and stand up. Following him out the door, I push the thoughts of my sisters and anything else that has to do with them and follow Jack to the lobby. He deposits his key with a bored looking old man and leads me out the door.

Once we're outside, I pull up my hood and Jack follows suit. He sends me a small, thoughtful look then says,

"Is there some way we can change how you look, just a little?"

I turn my eyes on him and ask rather bitterly, "Is there something wrong with the way I look?" I can't help but think that I'm not good enough for this guy.

"W-what?" he stammers and takes a step back, "No, your beautiful the way you are! I mean um…you're OK right now…no, you are pretty its just that…" he starts rubbing the back of his neck and his face rises to the color of a tomato.

I raise an eyebrow at him and mumble, "Uh…thanks?"

"Y-yeah, I was just saying that he might recognize you so if you could put your hair up or something to confuse him a little then maybe he won't really notice you from last night if he was there…" he holds his breath as he waits for my answer and I feel bad again. Why do I keep thinking he is just like the humans I've always heard about? Darn it, I'm so bad at this!

"Oh…" I say uneasily, then I give him a small, warm smile to comfort him and he starts to get redder…if that was possible, "I see, I'll go do that." I let my hood fall away then pull back my hair. Using one thick stand of hair, I tie that around my hair and place it over my right shoulder. Its one of my favorite hair styles and it should still turn him on, though there isn't any way I can really change my green hair.

"Is that good?" I ask him, honestly wanting his opinion. He gives me a considerate look then says,

"I guess so, they'll be to drunk to notice anyways. Come on, let's go," he gently takes my hand and leads me away. With my free hand, I through my hood up as a strong wind blows and the rain falls down at an angle. Not many people are in the street but if any of them are they're either walking as fast as they can or just running through the muddy streets.

We walk down the sidewalk along one of the main roads. It's wide and surrounded by shops and restaurants but the cobblestone is worn away and the cracks are filled with dirt and mud. Most of the stores are open and when I look inside I can see the bored, wet employee doing something useless like doodling or re-adjusting a rack multiple times even though its perfect. But I know how that feels, to be so bored you'd do almost anything. Even break the most important rule among the code that you respect the most.

I force these thoughts to leave, the more I think of them the harder it is to convince myself that this _is_ the right thing to do.

We turn a corner and continue to walk for a little bit longer. Soon Jack and I push open a wooden door and come inside to the guards.

Actually _guard_ because only one is sitting behind a wooden desk and he doesn't even look like one. He is rather on the larger side of the scale and one of those men where all of their hair is on their back. Jack marches up to him in a strong manner. He crosses his arms over his chest and speaks in an emotionless voice,

"We have a plan to get your bandit," though Jack is young he is extremely demanding. His voice is tough and his gaze is locked with the "guard."

"Y-you mean that guy who calls himself Storm?" he asks in a mocking tone then starts cracking up. Jack looks like he could kill him and it doesn't help when the man huffs out between breaths, "Listen kid, aren't you a little young to be doing this?"

"I think I'm old enough," he replies in his strong voice again, "I'm twenty three years old."

"You're not twenty three…" he argues in a low, considerate tone.

"Besides," Jack goes on "even if I was younger than you suspect, why should you pass down an opportunity to get the man that's been raiding all of those homes?"

The guard leans back and scratches his stubble on his chin. He looks over at me and gets lost in thought. It's tempting to see what he is thinking but before I can he already has made up his mind.

"Alright, I guess that makes sense. But tell me then, what is this plan of yours?"

Jack doesn't hesitate and explains everything out as if it were completely fool proof.

Once he is finished, the guard turns his gaze back to me. "So, you are going to risk the life of this _girl_ so you can get money?" he says to Jack in an amazed tone. I suddenly get angry with this man; he is talking about me like I'm some special merchandise. It's like he is really saying, "So you are going to risk getting your _special_ clothes wet so you can go outside?" That just isn't fair.

I'm about to go burst out my feelings towards him when Jack places a hand over mine. My anger melts away into confusion and shock and I turn my gaze to him. His eyes are glued to the man but I can see everything he would say to me in them. He is telling me that he has it under control and he wants me to stay put and quiet. He'll defend me…

Never in my whole life have I seen a way to communicate with just the looks in someone's eyes. I've seen emotions in eyes but things like this are simply amazing. My shoulders relax and the rest of my body follows suit. Jack's eyes soften a little bit by the way I have shown that I'll follow his orders. It's truly remarkable…

I suddenly realize that my heart is pounding in my chest and I feel myself get hot. I get this nervous feeling in my stomach and if someone were to talk to me I doubt I would know what to say. Is something wrong with me? Am I sick?

But I know I'm fine, it's just that…this feeling…I've never felt anything like it before. What is this feeling?

Jack begins to talk again and I force myself to focus on what he is saying. Even though, I'm fully aware of his hand on mine. I gently and casually slip it away and place it by my side again.

"She offered to do this and she is completely aware of what she is going to do. Don't think of her as a delicate object, she is a human just like everyone else!"

_A human just like everyone else…_

A sudden pang of hurt and guilt hits my heart again. Here he is, helping me out, _again_, and I lie to him about who I really am…_again._ It doesn't matter though; I can never tell him that I am a goddess. That would completely destroy the code and everything I've ever believed in. Along with that, it would be extremely dangerous to do it. I shouldn't wrap my head around these feelings of betrayal – it is pointless.

"Alright, alright," the guard raises his hands in a calming gesture, "I was just wondering if you got her drunk or something-,"

"I would never-," Jack starts to growl but gets cut off.

"Though it looks like she is fine. This plan actually sounds like it might work and I think that she'd – _you'd_, be perfect for this job."

We both smile and flick each other happy glances.

"I suppose it makes sense to let this go as you planned, but…" he trails off at the end, obviously enjoying our "suspense." We revert our gazes back to him and stare him down. "Since the guards are helping in this, we get fifty percent of the reward."

"What? No way!" Jack slams his hands on the table. "We need the money more than you and she is doing the hard stuff. You're just standing there and then going in with your swords and daggers!"

"Actually," the guard goes on smugly "these are dangerous criminals we are dealing with, something could go terribly wrong."

"That is why she is in danger!" He yells back. I can easily tell that we're going to loose this fight. This man is a greedy pig and doesn't care a thing about us. Jack really does need the money; he is completely broke. Without all the money from this job then I doubt he will be able to go long until he needs more. This man won't seem to budge unless…

"But why would you need money?" I say in a sweet, innocent tone. I slide my way gracefully towards the desk and lean against it. "Surely a man of your looks must be the richest man in all of Hyrule."

Jack and the guard are both silent in amazement. I can feel Jack's confusion practically radiate off of him. The guard is just mesmerized by what I'm doing. Nothing happens and I worry I just made a giant fool of myself. Then a large, mischievous grin starts to spread across his face.

"Well," he says boastfully "I got a promotion a couple weeks ago."

"Was it because you're so strong?" I give a playful punch in his arm while silently thinking_, Wow I hate this guy._

"I have been working out," He continues on in the same tone and leans back with his arms behind his head, purposely showing off his "pecks."

"You know," I lean a little more and twirl my finger around a lock of my green hair. "I would love some new clothes but I don't have much money. I just wish we could get more than fifty percent…"

"Oh, well…" he trails off for a moment and takes a good look at me. I stare right on through with the most innocent eyes I can muster. I flap my eyelashes a little in a flirting move. "I suppose you could have 500 and we'll have 100…"

"It's a deal," I get up and wink at him. "You will be there?"

"Y-yes, please start at…ten o'clock, then we can omit the plan."

"Thanks, bye," I smile and wave then walk out the door as fast as I can with Jack hot on my tail. Once we're outside I throw back on my hood when he jumps in front of me.

"What was that all about?" he seems to be on the brink of yelling.

"Practice," I reply in a disgusted tone.

"Practice?" he echoes.

"If I was going to do it again I might as well know how."

"Oh," he says uneasily "Well, you were really good…like being able to do it and all of that…you know…"

I chuckle a little, "The only bad thing is that I feel so silly doing that!"

"Well, it was sort of funny to watch but it worked didn't it?" He grins at me and I can tell he is joking around. I give him a playful push and groan sarcastically,

"Thanks, that's always nice to hear."

He laughs and then we walk into the rain, heading for the Tavern and remembering that I said I would never go back there…oh well.

_Author's Note_

_Thanks again for all of you who waited nicely and patiently (even though it wasn't that long of a wait) for the next chapter. Thank you for understanding my situation, it means a lot to me and I'm happy to say that my friend is cured! In other words, he is alive! At the beginning of the chapter I was a little in the dumps and then at the end I became a little excited so please excuse any weird writing. I just hope this is good enough!_

_Thanks again! Enjoy!_


	4. Chapter 3 Unexpected

Chapter Three - Unexpected

"It'll be ten o'clock in five…four…three…two…one," Jack steps back from the tavern window. He'd been watching the clock through there and now it was time for the plan to take its course. Honestly, I was slightly nervous. After Jack saying that _I _had the most dangerous job I was worried that I might have to use some magic if I needed help.

"Are you ready?" He asks me and I respond in a nod. He nods back and I start walking towards the door. "Wait," he calls after me anxiously. I stop and turn my head back to him. "Take off your cloak and maybe they won't notice you so much."

"Hm…good point," I untie the string that holds it up and pass it to Jack, "Can you hold that for me, please?"

"Yeah," he reaches out and takes it. I force myself not to dawdle and head on inside.

The Tavern is the same as yesterday except without the piano and not so many people. At the bar are three men. On the left is one wearing a dark brown tunic and black leggings. His curly blonde hair floats on his head like a poodle. Next to him, and in the middle of the trio, a scrawny looking kid is slouches in his seat. His sandy colored hair is tossed in random angles and he is wearing a dirty gray tunic. His leggings are torn and there is a deep gash in his arm. The one I'm worrying about though is the on the right side in a leather brown coat. He is wearing tan trousers that are torn and falling apart at the end. His dark brown hair tumbles over his face and tickles his ears. The closer I get to him the more I straighten out and pretend to not notice him. I walk up to the stool next to him and slide myself into it. I turn my head slightly to the right so my green hair hides my face.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him turn his head and an astonished look cross his face. "Now who do you think you are to…" his angry, deep voice fades away when I turn my head to look at him. A smile spreads across his face and he says in a charming voice, "Excuse me, let me rephrase that, may I get you a drink?"

I give a little giggle, "As long as you get one then we can get a drink together." Though I'm actually wondering how so many people can ask if they can get me drinks. What happened to complements?

He orders two beers to the bartender and he gets it as fast as he can.

"So you a friend of Jack's?" he whispers to me, looking into his glass so it seems like he isn't even speaking.

"What?" I gasp. "How do you-,"

"This is just a set up you know, didn't he tell you?" He turns his head to me. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks thoughtful.

I pause for a moment. I'm a little taken a back and embarrassed by what I said earlier about drinking together, even though it wasn't much. My own eyebrows notch together and a small flame of anger ignites inside of me. "N-no, he never told me."

"Oh," he shrugs, his confused expression replaced by his earlier cocky one. "Well, you can leave through the backdoor. Jack already got his money. Though you were certainly a nice touch, didn't think he could get someone so…" he trails off and gives me a wink. I feel my mouth drop instinctively and I close it immediately.

"Well then, could you explain to me how this happened?" My little flame begins to get bigger and I fold my arms across my chest.

"Sure, Jack and I planned this because I sort of owe him some money since he gave me a pretty nice knife. He's a tough kid, smart too, but I didn't expect less of a street kid-,"

"Wait – _street kid_?" I echo, my flame dying a tiny bit and sympathy starts nibbling at my heart.

"Yes, anyways," he continues, not picking up my surprise "We made a deal about this whole thing and now that he has the money I'll just let you go freely out the backdoor and you two can run for the hills. Just don't think you're safe from me now because you and I did some scheme together."

He takes a long sip of his beer. The moment he removes his lips from it I release my entire flame. Pity is completely extinguished and all that's left is my surprise and anger.

"You mean to tell me that he lied to me!" I yell and a few heads turn in our direction. "Well that's just fantastic," I grumble, lowering my voice.

"Doesn't matter, its obvious that any guy would use you. You're very gullible," He says it like it's a well-known fact and my mouth drops open again. Up in the sacred realm no one would dare say such a thing to me, _to a goddess_, and I'm completely amazed that he would say that. It doesn't matter that he doesn't know who I am, that's just plain rude!

"What!" I scream and almost every head turns to look at me.

Suddenly there is a loud bang in the back of the room. Every one of us spins to that direction. A large group of armed men start streaming in and I realize quickly that these are the guards we schemed with. They took my scream as the sign, they're coming to get them!

"Now you've done it!" the leader yells at me then throws himself up and starts running to the right, to the backdoor. The rest of his little buddies join in with the wild dash. A strong hand suddenly grabs my shoulder and I spin around, slipping out of his grip and standing up at the same time.

"Jack," I growl and my eyes narrow. He completely ignores me and grabs my hand. He shoves my cloak at me and I barely catch it before it falls to the floor.

"Run!" he whispers into my ear and starts sprinting towards the front door. We fly past guards and people, weaving in and out. Jack slams the door open and we sprint out into the pounding rain.

"Jack!" I call above the busy noise of the Tavern and the pouring rain. "Jack!" I repeat when I get no answer.

"What," he yells over his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"We'll talk about this later-,"

"Jack," I say warningly.

He sighs and slows down to a stop. He lets go of my hand and walks towards a large crowd of people gathered around something obscured from my view. I follow after him and come to a stop beside him next to the group.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment, "What is it?" he sighs.

I'm slightly confused for a moment, why does he sound so annoyed with me? Am I some kind of tool…was he really using me?

"You don't care about me do you?" I mumble, my voice soft and quiet, completely emotionless.

His eyes snap open and he looks into my eyes. He seems utterly shocked, though he did seem like a lot of other things.

"T-that's not true…" he stammers, reaching out to touch me. I take a shaky step back and he slowly brings his hand back to his side.

"You lied to me," I state in the same tone.

"I can explain-,"

"You helped the bad guy, you gave him a knife."

"I needed money-,"

"You always need money."

"I-I…"

"You used me,"

At this he says nothing and bows his head slightly.

"You are nothing like I thought you were," my voice finally cracks and disgust fills up into it. "You don't care a thing about me, you lied to me."

He opens his mouth to protest and then suddenly stops. His face drops and his green eyes grow sad. He stares into mine and I can easily see his sorrow and regret, but that doesn't change what he did.

"I know," he admits sadly. "I'm not a nice person, Farore. I'm desperate; I have to do these things just so I can live. Though I shouldn't even be living, I shouldn't be a alive," He shakes his head back and forth and now he looks truly hurt. I don't even know if he is talking to me or just reminding himself of these thoughts. A big lump forms in my throat and, even after all of the things I blamed him for, I still find myself thinking him as different than the others.

"Everyone has a reason for living, if you didn't then your gods or goddesses would have killed you by now," I reassure him, but then instantly regret it because that didn't sound hopeful at all. _Well Jack, you may think that you shouldn't be alive, but at the moment the gods want you too…though that could easily be changed in a snap._

He shrugs his shoulders and brings his head back up again, "I don't believe in that."

"What?" I gasp, my eyes widening.

"If these gods really existed then they wouldn't have let my family be killed like that. But that isn't the point, I'm sorry, Farore. I should have told you what I was planning."

"How come you didn't?"

"I-I…" he trails off and his face starts turning a little pink.

"What?" I say, raising my eyebrows. His face is tinted red and he has an embarrassed look on his expression. I can't help but worry. "Are you sick? How do you feel?"

To my surprise, he starts laughing at that. I cross my arms and scowl, "What's so funny?"

He ends his laughter and says with the corners of his mouth turned up, "Nothing, sorry."

I snicker at him because he obviously thought something was funny, but I let it drop.

"Listen, Farore," He begins, I can hear a tiny bit of worry in his tone "We really have to get going. Those guys are bound to get away and when they do they're not going to be happy. Its pretty easy to see that they'll go after us and when its two against twenty, I doubt we'll have much of a chance," he places his hand out, palms up, and smiles, "let me make it up to you."

I don't really know if he is doing some cute, happy little guy act here and I'm only guessing that he expects me to place my hand in his and let him drag me away to some random place. If I fell so easily for his earlier act of generosity then wouldn't it just be so easy to fall for it again?

My hand hovers over his and I look into his eyes.

Remorse. Hope. Sorrow. Caution. That's what I see in them, but what could he really be thinking?

I narrow my eyes and see into his unprotected mind easily, forgetting my previous urge to give him his privacy. Its full of a mix of jumbled thoughts like gnats flying around randomly together, you can never follow one for too long.

_Why is she stopping, what is going on?_

_ Wow, that was a mistake._

_ Where are we supposed to go?_

_ It feels like she is looking past me...what is she doing?_

_ Jeez, its been pouring down rain forever. That last rumble of thunder sure seemed a lot closer._

_ We really have to get going, those guys are bound to find us sooner or later. For some reason I-I don't want her to get hurt…_

I pull back off of his mind and quickly reflect on what he just thought. It sounds like he is worried about me and he does have a pretty good point about the bandits finding us eventually.

Though one thing really bothers me, _the last rumble of thunder sure seemed a lot closer_.Were my sisters coming closer to finding me? If so, I should really get a move on. Maybe Jack has some place where we could hide for a while…

I let out a stiff breath that I didn't realize I had been holding and gently place my hand over his. "Hide us," I breathe.

He blinks a few times for some reason, looking slightly amazed; maybe it was the rain. He gets rid of his astonishment and tightens his grip on my hand.

"We should go back to my room, get some things, and leave the Port. That is…if it's OK with you?"

I nod my head, the farther we left then the better chance we would have of dodging Nayru and Din's eyes.

He leads me away from the crowd and towards an ally way. A harsh, cold wind blows and tosses my soaking hair in front of my face. With my free hand, I tuck my wet green hair behind my ears. Jack stops and turns around to face me.

"You can put on your cloak, that way you won't be drenched and it could hide you better." I nod while I throw my cloak around me and raise the hood all in one swift movement. I quickly tie the strings around my neck to hold it up.

The moment I'm finished I nod my head again, "lead the way," I gesture down the ally. He takes my hand again – gently - and starts jogging down the passage. I'm aware of the concern in his body, with every stiff movement and tightening of his grip on me I can tell he is dying to go faster. He forces himself to stay at the same slow pace – probably to make me feel for relaxed or something. I'm not dumb and it's obvious that we really should pick up the pace.

"Jack," I say and I'm surprised to find a crack of worry in my voice. "I think we should go faster…like as fast as possible."

His grip lessens a little and I can feel his relief radiate off of him. He answers by stretching his legs farther in front of him and running much faster than before. I easily keep up with him as we jump over puddles and weave around the turns. I get a little sense of déjà vu from yesterday while we race through the passage, running away from the same people as last night.

Jack takes a sharp left turn then freezes to a stop. I just barely avoid bumping into him and peer around him. The storm clouds cast a dark shadow over the stonewalls and tiny puddles of water holds itself in the little cups of the cobblestone. The broken down doors and windows are all slammed shut and trash dances along the walls.

A harsh wind sprays the water off the roof tops and makes the brown coat of the man blow in the wind. Droplets drip off of his wet hair and onto his harsh, angry expression. His lips are in a tight line and his body is stiff.

_The leader,_ I gasp in my mind.

"Jack," he barks, his voice low and threatening.

"Fem," Jack spits out the words. His green eyes are hard and cautious, looking for any sign of attack and ready for a fight.

"Don't call me that, Jack," he growls back "You know I don't like my real name."

"I'm aware," he retorts strongly. There it is again, that strength glowing in his eyes and voice. Now he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would mumble awkward replies to me on touchy subjects. It's strange, but for some reason, I sort of like it right now.

"You think you're so clever," Fem snickers at him "maybe it wouldn't have gone so wrong if _everyone_ knew the plan."

Jack tenses up next to me and I take a step forward, ready to tell this guy off. I stop short when Jack throws his arm out in front of me and shoots me a glance that says _sorry_.

That should probably annoy me but after rethinking, my little rant might not have been the wisest thing.

I give a tiny nod of understanding and he goes back to glaring at Fem.

"Where'd you pick her up anyways?" Fem mocks, "Did you pay her?"

Jack goes to make a comment when there is a sudden _whoosh_ in the air and we spin around. An arrow lands right at our feet and a dark silhouette starts running in the opposite direction. Jack unsheathes his knife and tackles him down all in one movement. The man and him fall down into small puddle, kicking and punching each other.

I stare at them, so confused. I have the slightest clue for what's going on. If that man was so close though, wouldn't his aim been much better? How could anyone miss from three feet away? Unless…

Before I even turn around I'm already to late. Fem's strong arm wraps around me, binding my arms to my sides and making it impossible to move. He backs away, dragging me along with him, while pulling out his own knife. I struggle against his grip but I'm held fast. If only I could use my magic I wouldn't be in this mess!

"Jack!" I yell in vain, giving up on escaping on my own. His head snaps up and looks at me in astonishment. He gives the archer one last powerful kick in the head then charges towards me. Something sharp rests against my throat and Jack freezes two feet away from us.

I try to stay as still as possible, I'm not entirely sure if the blade could even cut me but it's best not to take any chances. The only thing I can hear is our ragged breathing and the pouring rain pounding against the ground. Jack's gaze flick from me to Fem and back to me then stays there.

_"Sorry" _He mouths, and he looks truly apologetic. I would think anger would be in his green eyes but all I see is fear and sorrow. Maybe he does care about me…

Jack's eyes stay on me for a moment longer then snaps back up to Fem. "What do you want?" he growls, back in his strong sense again.

"I suppose we're skipping the whole, 'let her go' thing this time?" Fem retorts, urging on for a fight.

"Sorry, but I highly doubt that you're actually going to let her go just because I say so," he answers, narrowing his eyes and growing inpatient.

I feel Fem shrug next to me, "It's worth a try, though you have no idea how many times I've heard that. Then again…maybe you do?" he throws him a wicked grin and Jack shoots daggers back at him. I'd normally ponder this but it's slightly difficult with a knife to your throat.

"Just tell me what you want," he snaps.

"The money," Fem replies simply "all of it."

"Duh," Jack rolls his eyes "but how do I know you'll release her?"

"I give you my word," he says defiantly.

"Your word means nothing," Jack spits back, "trust me, I know."

"Well how do I know you won't kill me right afterwards?"

"I give you my word," Jack mocks.

"There is only one way to settle this," Fem narrows his eyes, looking smug "we fight."

Jack's teeth clamp together. "Then you must release her," he manages to hiss.

"Then what is the point?" Fem snaps.

"It's simple-,"

"Forget this," Fem throws me to the side and I crash hard into the stonewall. My head buzzes a little but I'm still able to see and hear. "Give me the money!" Fem yells as he flings himself at Jack. They fall to the ground and start tumbling over each other.

Fem throws a random punch and hits Jack hard in the collarbone. Jack knees him in the stomach and gets slapped across the face at the same time. Fem goes still for a moment and I'm surprised that Jack doesn't even pause after his hit.

Using all of his force, Jack pushes Fem off of him and instantly kicks him in the stomach again. He might've been trying to aim lower but it doesn't really matter now.

Fem rolls over again and Jack goes to smack him in the back of the head. A flicker in the shadows catches my attention and I see that it's the curtly blonde man from the tavern.

"Jack!" I cry out in vain but I'm already to late. The man swipes out a buck knife from his belt. With all of his might, he thrusts the knife right into Jack's thigh. He lets out the most painful scream and collapses onto the ground, clutching his leg. The scrawny kid from the bar twists around the corner and kicks Jack hard in the chest. He releases another terrible scream and rolls towards me.

Now they are all slowly walking towards us with their knives out and the rain dripping into our eyes. It somehow reminds me of a snake sneaking up on its prey, ready to pounce at any moment.

I look at Jack's body lying on the wet ground in agony and I put on a brave face – which isn't all that hard for me. I step confidently in front of him; my back to him and my hands ready to defend.

A sudden anger comes over me. Since when did the people that _I_ create go around stabbing each other? Why would they waste their lives killing others? How could anyone do that, especially to someone so kind…so nice…

I shake these strange thoughts out my head and glare at the prowling men. They flick humorous glances at each other, obviously thinking that this is some kind of joke.

"Move out of the way, Girly," Fem snarls "or we'll kill you too."

"I'd like to see you try," I retort with so much strength and confidence, I think they actually hesitate for a moment.

The lanky teenager shrugs his shoulder and starts charging at me. He raises his knife back, aiming at my heart, and starts bringing it down. The whole time I stand perfectly still until the first twitch of his downward motion passes through my keen eyes. With unnatural speed and power, I smack him away like I would swat at a fly and send him flying into the wall. He falls limp to the ground, unconscious.

The other men keep reverting their awestruck gazes from the boy to me. Fem shakes his head and whispers to his men, "Together."

They each take out another knife, this one bigger and sharper than the other one, and start running towards me. They only get one stride, maybe half, before I raise my hand and send out a blast of green lightning though my fingers and hit each one square in the chest. They go flying backwards until they skid to a stop some ten yards away; all knocked out like their friend.

I waste no time and spin around while kneeling next to Jack. Even through all of this pain he is still able to stare up at me with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

Looking at his wounded leg, I can see the blood pouring out and dripping down his leg to the ground. My stomach starts churning as I stare at the blade lodged in there up to the hilt.

My mind works a million miles per hour and before five seconds even goes bye I already decided on what I'm going to do.

"OK, Jack," I begin to explain calmly, "I'm going to pull out the knife and it's going to hurt but I promise you that right afterwards I'll get rid of the pain, alright?"

His head tilts the tiniest bit and I know it's a yes. He squeezes his eyes shut and breathes deeply, ready to face the coming pain.

With delicate yet strong hands, I grip the hilt and let out a deep breath. Closing my eyes so I don't have to see the oncoming blood, I give a big tug and yank the knife out. The moment I do so Jack gives a terrible scream of pain. Opening my eyes again, I see fresh blood gushing away like a dam broken down. I silently thank Deus for making sure I couldn't throw up.

Keeping my promise, I move my hand right about his wound. It hovers over it and casts and golden shadow. Glistening sparkles dance out of my glowing palm and gently rest on the damaged area. Jack's groans of pain come to a stop and all I can hear from him now is the big, relaxed breaths going in and out.

Watching the wound heal itself is like watching it happen backwards. First, the new blood simply fades away and the cut stops bleeding. Then the dried blood also fades away. Next, the skin around the gash starts coming together like a hole closing in on itself. As soon as that's done, I even take the time to have his leggings stitch back together perfectly.

I sit back and release a long breath. I force myself to push away the guilt and fear of using magic. Who knows what other trouble this could have caused. It had to be done though; Jack was in too much pain. If I just left him there they would have killed him before the injury could.

With these thoughts in mind I actually start feeling good about myself. I gently help Jack to his feet and he instantly starts testing out his leg. He puts all of his weight on it, pokes at where the cut used to be, and bends it back and forth.

After a few moments he turns to me and stares at me with those green eyes. They're full of complete amazement and gratitude and I know that I will never get tired of them. "I-it feels fine…" he gasps, "what did you …do? Who are you?"

I straighten up and look him hard in the eye,

"I'm a sorceress."

_Author's Note_

_Finally, the long awaited chapter has come. I re read this a thousand times and tried to explain things the best I can. I think it's a little hard to understand some of the things because but just keep in mind that I tried my best._

_Sorry that it took so long. I'm in the middle of finishing up another story on a different website and I'm trying to get it down as fast as possible._

_If you thought that the plan was stupid then let me just say that it was supposed to be stupid. Though I guess you all already figured that, I thought I'd just run that by you._

_Anyways, this was a hard chapter and I just hope you enjoy!_


	5. Chapter 4 Jack's Horrors

Chapter Four – Jack's Horrors

I was at a big relief when Jack believed my lie of me being a sorceress. It would make perfect sense so he didn't question it much. Instead, we raced off towards the inn and up to his room. Jack collected all of is belongings and we were able to leave without much trouble from the Check Inn lady.

From there we sprinted towards the outskirts of The Port. Even though I had knocked the bandits out for a good solid three hours, we still had to worry about their little friends. They could easily want revenge on us.

Once we were on the border of the city, Jack and I raced towards a large, brown stable. He tried with all of his might to somehow get horses for us from the stable hands. He offered his knives, (because he surprisingly has many) some traveling tools, and he offered to work it all off one day. To our dismay, the man kept saying no.

He was on the verge of giving up when a loud roll of thunder sent shivers down my spine. I would've enjoyed that feeling a little bit longer but the closer the storm came then the closer my sisters came to finding me. I went up to one of the stable hands and made sure he gave us his fastest horses. Jack came back empty handed but I had two very powerful stallions waiting for us. I knew it was wrong and that I should be beating myself up about it. To be honest, it was sort of fun and it wasn't too hard to push the guilt out of my head.

Now we're galloping towards the city gates. I have no idea where we're headed after we leave The Port but anywhere is better than here. I'm just worried about my sisters finding me. Did using my magic send off some kind of signal? Or was it just by chance that they came so close to finding me? Either way, it would be best to get out of here as fast as possible.

As if to confirm my suspicions, a huge roar of thunder seemed to rattle the road underneath us and lightning fills up the sky. I was even able to hear plates clatter together and shudders bang against the walls.

My heart starts beating faster and I urge my horse to pick up the pace. We reach the gates and we don't slow down one bit, we just zoom past a confused guard.

My body follows every one of my horse's movements. I love how I can feel each time she sifts her weight and when she places her foot down or picks it up. I feel her muscles working under me and I curl my fingers in her white hair. I don't even have a bridle or a saddle on her; she just follows my every thought. Anything I want, she does. I pet her wet, golden coat, showing her my appreciation.

Next to me, Jack rides bareback and bridle-less on a lean, dark brown thoroughbred. To my surprise, he seems to have such a good hand on controlling his horse. How long had he been riding for? It doesn't seem like he would know how, but then again, I really don't know much about him. Actually, I'm curious to know more about him.

We slow down to a canter and head for lighter skies. Questions buzz through my head but I can't help but just ride through the rain and enjoy the feel of the horse under me.

I tilt my head back and stare up at the sky. It's like a giant grayscale. Behind us the gray is extremely dark, the storm clouds building up over there. It then lightens at the very end of my vision, almost becoming white. I now just realize that the rain had lightened up a little bit. It's soft now, almost a hard drizzle.

"Looks like we have some good weather coming in," Jack comments from next to me. I turn my eyes to him and he is also staring up at the sky. His green eyes are completely lost in thought and he has the longing look in his expression.

"Yes," I murmur, silently puzzling over his look. "I'll be happy to be away from that storm."

Jack starts slowing down his horse until he is at a fast walk. My mare follows suit without one command.

"Sorry for just dragging you around like that, I'll take you anywhere you want," he says kindly, not going into a sincere apology, which I am relieved by. I just want to have some fun, forget all of that stuff.

I give him a small smile, "Nah, its alright. Just tell me, where exactly are we headed?"

Jack gives a little shrug and smiles back at me, "I was thinking of The Market Place. You know, by Hyrule Castle?"

I nod my head, "sounds like a good idea." And it really does, surely Din and Nayru already looked there. Maybe I'll be able to last better there.

Jack's silent for a moment, pondering on something. He then turns back to me and raises an eyebrow, "What about your family? Won't they be worried?"

I can't help but give a small chuckle at this and he looks really confused now. "You bet," I grin at him. Jack starts laughing and he grins back at me. I quickly join in his laughter and I find that I really like it. This sounds nice, his voice and mine combined. It a little weird but, heck, I don't care.

"What about your family? Are they worried about you?" I question him, still smiling.

Jack's happy expression just completely disappears. His smile drops down to a frown and his eyes become very distant, as if he is looking back on a sad, sad memory.

"I sure hope so," he mumbles so quietly that only a goddess could hear.

I swallow a lump in my throat and remorse starts eating away at me. I pretend that I didn't hear and force a grin onto my face again.

"So, we sure gave them a good butt whooping huh?"

He looks at me in shock, probably surprised by my lightness of the situation. A second later and his own smile crawl its way onto his face. "If I knew that you could do that I would've just let you fight the whole time."

I laugh at this, "I don't know I might get bored." He instantly starts cracking up and I take a moment to listen to it. I never really got to meet many people when I was in the Sacred Realm. My sisters' laughs were all very musical and sounded like bells but I like Jack's better. It sounds more natural, more relaxed.

His laughter dies down and his eyes seem to sparkle, completely forgetting about his sudden mood swing. "Hey, are you hungry? I haven't eaten in forever."

"Hungry?" I echo. There is this sudden sharp pain in my stomach and I give a silent gasp.

Jack gives a small nod and as if to confirm our concerns, a strange growl seems to come from my mid section. I really _am_ hungry!

"Whoa!" I exclaim, "I'm hungry!" A giant smile spreads on my face and it's all I can do to keep me from bouncing up and down in excitement. I've never been starving before like this, so hungry that it hurts. I _want_ food!"

Jack chuckles a little at my excitement, "OK then…do you want some food?"

"Do you have food?" I ask, still grinning from ear to ear.

He nods and sends me a small smile, "only some bread and two apples, that should be enough to hold us till we get there."

"OK!" I agree enthusiastically. He can't help but laugh at me while he pulls out a few slices of bread and an apple and passes them to me. I take a giant bite out of the apple instantly and I only care a little about Jack's soft stare towards me.

I continue to munch down on my breakfast, or maybe lunch? Either way, I eat it all up quickly and enjoy the rest of the ride with my stomach not on the brink of death.

We arrive much later in the day; it would've taken longer if it hadn't been for my secret magic making the horses very fast and never tire. After sending them to a stable we walk into the town square.

The market place is huge! The buildings tower over us and seem to glare down at our little bodies. A large fountain stands proudly in the middle of the square. Next to it, a strange couple seems to be dancing around and around. By the looks of their soaked clothes, it doesn't seem that they're going to be leaving anytime soon.

I hold back a laugh, remembering how Nayru, Din, and I used to laugh at the couple. I suddenly find myself envying them; they can go love without another worry in the world while I have to secretly rule a country.

I avert my eyes from them and look at groups of people hanging around carts or just talking under canvases. Large puddles appear to lie lazily around the square and the drizzling rain keeps coming on and off.

"What do we do now?" I ask Jack. He thinks for a moment then looks down at me.

"Do you want to eat now or should we get a room or would you like to get some supplies?"

"Supplies?" I repeat.

"Well, like clothes. I mean, uh…your just really wet and I feel bad and um…ah jeez, that sounded bad!"

I start laughing at his embarrassment and he joins in for a moment. "Sure, that sounds nice. I just don't want to take your money from you."

"Nah," he shakes his head and smiles mischievously at me, "I think I owe you one…or two…or a lot more."

I give a little singsong giggle, "Alright, I'll give you the honor of buying me some clothes," I give him a little play punch in the arm. He laughs again and starts leading me to one of the side buildings.

That's when I notice the top of the Temple of Time. It's tall peak rises up and beats all of the other buildings in the area. It's so majestic and proud as it stares down at me like a watchful guardian. For some reason, it reminds me of Deus and a small thing of sorrow crawls its way into my heart.

"Wow," Jack breathes and his sigh tickles my ear. I turn to him and see him standing next to me, I hadn't realized that I'd stopped. "That is one amazing building."

"It's the Temple of Time," the words jump out of my mouth in a matter-of-fact manner. "It's ancient."

"Maybe that's why it's called the Temple of Time," he jokes.

I smile at him, "That's one way to look at it."

"C'mon, I want to get this over with," he jokes again and gently takes my hand. I allow him to lead me inside the small shop.

Inside it smells like cotton and burnt wool for some reason. A middle-aged woman is at a desk, sewing up a tear in a babies dress. On the left wall is a long rack full of ladies clothes and on the right is a rack for men.

Her head snaps up as she hears us come in, and her eyes grow wider as she stares at me. I pull my hood down and tuck my hair behind my ear, feeling slightly awkward.

She gets up from her desk and walks towards us. Her own bright pink dress sways with each step she takes and her short, curly brown hair bounces up and down.

"How may I help you?" she asks in a sweet, motherly voice.

"Well," Jack starts "My friend needs some clothes."

She walks up to me and places her hands on my face. Her dark brown eyes scan my face up and down and her long fingers trace my cheekbones and jaw line. I feel very awkward as she studies me.

She takes a step back, removing her hands from my face, and studies the rest of my body. After a few moments, she brings her head up and smiles at me. I hold back a relieved sigh and silently thank whomever I can possibly thank for finishing the scan.

"You are very beautiful and I have the perfect dress for you," she rushes towards a wall and starts shuffling through the giant rack of dresses. Jack shoots me a humorous glance and gives a little smile. I playfully push him and turn back to the lady.

She comes striding over carrying a giant white gown. It looks like something you would wear to a ball.

"Is this what you're looking for," she holds up the gown to me and I force myself to hide my embarrassment.

"Well, ma'am," Jack begins "I think we were looking for something more casual and easier to walk in, like an everyday wear. Though that is very nice, truly beautiful."

I look at Jack in surprise; I'm awed as how well he told her no to something so extravagant. It seems like he can do _anything_!

The woman nods and smiles, "Oh, I see. Silly me, I should've asked first," she walks back towards the rack, "Then this should be perfect."

I turn to Jack and mouth the words, _thank you_. He just nods and smiles back at me.

_We're sure happy today_, I think blissfully in my mind, reflecting on our laughs and smiles.

"How about this," she holds up a white dress with long-sleeves. At the neck is a small V and it looks tight around my waist but looser around the rest of me. It is quite nice and it reaches down to my ankles.

I nod my head and smile at the woman, "That would be wonderful, thank you."

"No, no," she grins back and shakes her head, "thank you. You'll fit this dress perfectly. I'll even cut down the price to forty-five rupees."

"Really!" I gasp, "That is extremely nice of you. I would feel bad to take this at such low price-,"

"No, no," she repeats, "I want you to have it. You can change out of your wet clothes over through that door. I made sure that the dress was your size. I'm very good at guessing those."

"Oh," I say, a little taken aback but content all the same, "thank you, that's very nice of you."

She carefully hands me the dress and points to a wooden door behind the counter. "There is also a towel and a brush to dry yourself off if you want."

"Thank you," I say again and walk towards the door.

I undress out of my original dress and rest it gently on a small chair. The room is small but just big enough to allow me to change without trouble. I take the towel and wipe my face and the rest of my body. I then quickly slip on the white dress and adjust any wrinkles in it. The woman really did have a good sense of size; it fit perfectly. I used the brush and fixed my hair the best I could do. Of course it never got all frizzy from mist or something like that and I was happy that I could get rid of some of the tangles. With the towel I dry most of it and I change my style so it's just tumbling around my head in a nice way.

I walked out with my old dress folded up and my cloak back on. I see Jack look at me then freeze. His eyes simply stare at me as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, a habit I'm starting to do when I'm nervous now.

"See, I told you that you would fit it perfectly! Doesn't she look beautiful?" she questions gleefully and then spins me around gracefully. I give a little giggle and come to a stop.

"Doesn't she?" the woman asks him again.

Jack just smiles and murmurs a soft yes, as he seems to be completely enchanted by something about me. We catch each other's eyes and I find myself frozen as I stare into green depths. My heart starts beating faster in my chest and I wonder why this is happening.

It seems like forever until the lady cuts into our little trance. "Your friend paid for your dress so you just come back anytime, OK?" I smile at the woman and start walking towards the door. Jack starts following after me and we both turn towards her saying good-bye and thank you. For a moment, I see a flicker of amusement in her expression.

Outside it had started to drizzle again but I don't bother with the hood, instead, I try to avoid any puddles that come along my way.

"Thanks for the dress," I beam up at him as we walk towards the fountain.

"No problem," he swallows down a lump in his throat and looks in the opposite direction.

"What should we do now?" I question him.

He turns back to me and thinks for a second. "Well, it's almost dinner time, that was one long ride. Though I'm surprised that we got here much quicker, those horses sure are fast."

I look in a different direction and give a little guilty smile, "uh-huh."

"So, we could go get some food and talk it over while we eat," he suggests.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

We change our direction to a cart that's about to close up when Jack's able to buy us some soup. We sit next to each other on the fountain's edge. I run my hand through the numbing water and trace patterns in it. The water swirls around my fingers and I let the feeling take over me. It feels so nice, so beautiful.

After a few moments, I finally feel Jack's eyes burning into me. I turn my head to look at him and he instantly looks somewhere else. I forget about it and start sipping my soup.

Later through the meal, Jack begins his mini plan. "Well, we could go rent a room after this at the local inn and stay the night. Of course, that is if you don't have anywhere else you need to be."

I shake my head, "No, that sounds good. Tomorrow we can think of something to do."

He nods his head. "Alright then, are you done?"

"Yes, let's go."

We get up and give the bowls and spoons back the man at the cart. We then walk across the square towards the building to the left of the fountain. A few lights shine in the windows and reflects off some of the puddles on the wooden stairs.

Inside there is a small lobby. A lady, probably in her late twenties, stands behind a tiny desk and gives them a skeptical look. She doesn't look all that happy to see customers.

The closer we come she straightens up and puts on a mischievous smile. "What can I do for you two?"

"Can we have room with two single beds," Jack explains, remembering the two beds.

"Huh, you sure you want two beds? Because one is a lot cheaper," she smirks at us, obviously having her only fun of the night.

"No, two's good," Jack forces himself to say it calmly, probably annoyed by _another_ hotel girl bothering him.

"Hey, I won't tell your parents that you and your girlfriend had some fun," she winks at us. I raise an eyebrow, completely confused. What did she mean by that?

Jack on the other hand gets really angry and annoyed. With all of his might he makes sure to hold it back and manages to growl, "Can we just have our room?"

She gives a mocking sigh, "Fine," and hands him the key. Jack places the money on the desk,

"Thanks," he grumbles and leads me away up the creaky stairs. I follow him down the second floor to room sixteen. He places the key in the lock and twists it around until there is a click. He pushes it open and walks into the room.

To little surprise there is only one double bed. It's light blue sheets are nice and smooth and the pillows white and puffy. Moonlight poured from the window to the left of the bed and looked out towards the market. There is a small dresser up against the wall and a mirror standing up next to it. On the bedside table is an unlit candle. The only problem is that there was one bed and the room was so small that there was barely any space to walk.

"Figures," he grumbles and walks to the dresser placing his bag on top of it. I place down my cloak and old dress on the ground in the corner. "I'll just sleep on the floor, I don't feel like bothering her again," Jack says.

"No, I'll sleep on the floor, you did that last night," I protest against it.

"It's alright, I'll sleep on the floor," he persists.

"Do you want to sleep on the floor?" I question him.

He shrugs, "Only if you don't want to."

"But I don't want you to," I retort.

"But I don't want you."

I give a little laugh, "Then we'll both sleep on the floor."

"There isn't any room and what good does it to for us both on the floor?" he grins at me.

I roll my eyes playfully, "Well if you won't sleep on the floor and you won't let me sleep on the floor then what are we supposed to do?"

His eyes flicker to the bed for a moment and then come back to me. He shrugs his shoulders again, "I don't know."

I plop myself on the ground and fold my legs under me. "I'm demanding that I sleep on the floor," I smirk up at him.

He chuckles and marches over to me. He reaches down playfully and I pull back laughing. His hands grab my arms and lift me up. I struggle against his hold, us both laughing as he tries to push me on the bed. The back of my knees hit the edge of the bed and I fall backwards, clutching onto Jack and sending him down with me. My back hits the bed and Jack lands on top of me.

We freeze that way, starring at each other and waiting for the other one to break the ice. I see Jack swallow a few times as if he can just swallow down his nerves. I wish I could do that.

My heart starts beating extremely hard and fast, I feel like it might rip out of my chest. He's bound to hear it going wild inside of me. I can feel the tiniest rise and fall of Jack's chest as he lies on top of me and his warm breath tickles my face nicely.

I can't help but swallow like Jack and force a fake smile onto my face, "Looks like we'll both just have to sleep on the bed."

He goes a little stiff for a moment and then also puts on a phony grin, "I guess the floor doesn't like us."

I laugh naturally at that as Jack gently backs off of me. I sit up and watch him walk to the other side of the bed.

"W-well…" he stammers, starring at the pillows "at least its big."

"Hm," I mumble and slip off my shoes. I sit there awkwardly on the side of the bed as I hear Jack remove his cloak and any of his hidden weapons. I really don't understand why he needs all of those; then again, maybe he's just been cautious.

After a few minutes later I finally walk over to the top of the bed, keeping my eyes down. No wonder goddesses weren't allowed into the human world, we would just get into trouble!

I pull back the covers and silently slip into the bed. I have my back faced to Jack as I stare at the window. I feel Jack pull the covers back and also slip into the bed.

We lie like that for a long time, simply staring out into the darkness and totally aware of each other's presence. The only thing I can hear is my heart pounding against my ribs and even my temples start beating. The moonlight makes it so easy to see everything and it probably doesn't really help that it's glowing right into my eyes.

I roll over onto my other side, hoping that this will somehow make me less sleepy.

Of course it doesn't.

Jack's back is turned to me and he tries to fake sleep for a moment. His chest rises up and down, attempting to breathe right. He finally seems to give up on that and turn over too.

The moonlight seems to caress his face and his green eyes shine brightly like stars. I feel my face getting hot. What's going on? Am I sick?

Jack gives me a warm smile, "You're blushing," he breathes.

"I'm blushing?" and, as if to prove a point, I feel my face start burning.

"Ha ha, yeah, you are," he says lightly.

"Oh," I mumble.

There's a long moment of silence before Jack finally starts blushing himself and whispers, "Sorry."

"Sorry?" I echo. "Why?"

"Uh," he says awkwardly "I don't know, it just felt appropriate."

I give a small giggle, "I told you that you like to apologize."

He laughs with me, "Yeah, sorry."

I smirk at him, "is this going to be a problem?"

"Probably," he grins back at me.

I roll my eyes, "Well, I'll get over it…eventually."

He chuckles again and I feel his breath against mine again. It feels nice, yet I'm still slightly on edge. I fiddle with my hair. It drapes over my shoulder and almost touches Jack. I don't know if its because its so long or its just that we're so close. I like the first one.

He goes to scratch his neck and then places his hand down beside him. He gasps very quietly and can't help but twiddle with some thick strands of my hair.

"Whoa," he breathes, "your hair…it's so soft."

I give a nervous laugh and I feel myself blushing again, "Sorry."

He gives me an amused look. "Now looks who's apologizing."

"It just felt appropriate," I mock him and he beams back at me. His fingers continue to play with my soft hair absentmindedly.

"Jack," I whisper after a few moments.

"Yes?" he replies.

"B-before, you said that you didn't deserve to live. That it wasn't fair…"

His fingers go rigid with a strand of my hair between his fingers. "I-I said that? Oh…I didn't mean to…"

"I'm sorry, I'm just curious," I confess, avoiding his eyes.

"No…no it's alright. I honestly think it would be good if I were to tell someone. I've held this secret for a long time."

"What is it?" I persist, hanging on every word he says.

He releases a sad sigh and closes his eyes. "I used to live a luxurious life. I lived in a big house and with one happy family. I had the life that anyone could want. My parents loved me and my two older sisters were always there for me. We did everything together and we did it without one care in the world. It was like we lived in our own little town and time traveled at our pace.

"Then one day, when I was ten years old, a very powerful and angry man came up to my dad an excused him of something he would never do."

"What did he excuse him of?" I can't help but ask, listening to everything he says. I notice how sad his tone is, how this sorrowful expression fills his face.

"He excused him of killing his wife," he whispers and takes a big breath and opens his eyes, "we were forced to leave the area immediately and he posted wanted posters of my entire family's faces. We couldn't leave the city because it was far too risky to be caught by the guards. We got disguises and were forced to live on the streets. Using fire ash, we died our hair a different color and got new clothes. No one recognized us for a month.

"Then one day we were out in the town square. We lined up along the walls and we each went in to go pick pocket some things. I always liked wondering away from my family for this time, it was best not to be seen together. My sisters always worked near each other, which was a huge mistake that day.

He closes his eyes again and just lies there, his fingers gently stroking my hair.

"Why?" I breathe, my heart feeling like a heavy stone in my chest as each sad word escapes from his lips.

"They got caught," he whispers, his voice threatening to crack. "Guards came over and tried to drag them away when my mother and father started attacking them - trying with all of their might to let them go. I went to help but my mother pushed me away, telling me to hide. They took my family away and I quickly heard what happened. They had told them that I had died of sickness and that they were the only ones that were left. At noon they would be sentenced."

His eyes stayed closed and I think they threatened to betray him, to show his tears of pain.

"It was terrible," he finally croaks. "A huge crowd gathered around in the town square. Each eye was on the platform in the middle. I watched from the back, safely concealed in the shadows. Even that far back I could easily see my family bound to the platform. Their hands were tied and guards circled around them. A man gave an order and some men forced them towards the ropes hanging from the beam above. They stood there with masked faces as the men slipped the nooses around their heads."

He closes his eyes tightly as if it was too much pain to look at. I now feel terrible about asking him and it didn't help when a small tear finally escaped his watery eyes.

"It was the worst thing in the world," his voice cracks and his hand balls up into a fist, clutching my hair tightly into it. I don't mind. "The guard pulled a lever and the floor just fell out from under them. They hung lifelessly there, gasping for breath but receiving none. It was so, so terrible…so scary."

Another tear slides down his face but this time my hand is there to catch it. I cup his cheek with my palm and gently rub my thumb in a circle, collecting any loose tears. His eyes slowly open and a fresh wave comes out like a dam being released. His green eyes are wet with tears and I find my own eyes water. I blink rapidly to hold back my own tears, I don't wish for him to see this. My heart feels like a giant weight inside of me. How bad it must be to see your family, the ones you love, be forced to death as you just stand there, watching.

I feel something wet slide down my own face and I whisper, "Sorry...I'm so, so sorry…"

"It's alright, its alright," he cones and removes his hand from my hair and wipes away my own tear. "I probably shouldn't have told you it…its to hard…"

"No, no," I shake my head a tiny bit and take good notice of the warmth of his hand against my skin. "You shouldn't have to hold that all in, it isn't fair…you were only ten…" another tear escapes my eyes and falls down my face only to be stopped by Jack's warm thumb.

"I was able to live for a long time on my own. I learned to fight and how to steel. I'm not too proud of what I did, but it was the only way. I was desperate; I needed to leave that place. I got enough money to buy a boat ticket because sneaking on to a ship was too risky. I didn't even know where I was going; I just need to leave, to be gone from there. Now I plan to make a life here, to start a new one without my past weighing me down…"

"I-I'm so sorry," I breathe. I inch closer to him and forget any awkward things or "boundaries". I wrap my arms around him and tightly hold him to me. My head rests on the niche between his neck and his shoulder. I could hear his heart beat a little faster and I feel a tear fall on top of my head. I don't care.

He's still for a moment but then wraps his strong arms around me gently and holds me to him for a moment.

My hair tickles his hands and he runs his fingers through it. "Why is your hair green," he whispers to me, changing the subject.

"Is something wrong with my green hair?" I half joke half cry.

"Nah…it's just beautiful."

"Ha ha, are you hitting on me?" I joke, pulling away and looking up into his green eyes.

He gives a little chuckle. "I thought you wouldn't notice since I didn't offer you a drink."

I start cracking up at this and he just smiles warmly down at me. Once my laughter dies down, he pulls his arms away from me and we separate again.

"Goodnight, Farore," he breathes as he still smiles at me.

"Good-night, Jack," I breath back and close my eyes. Sleep dwindles away in the distance and I part of me wishes to fall into it while another part just wants to stay near the sleeping Jack. I can still feel where his soft hand had cupped my face and where his fingers had slipped through my hair.

I have no idea I could want someone to do that to me but it doesn't really matter. I just want to slip away into sleep, away from Jack's horrors.

_Author's Note_

_Collapses onto the floor in pain phew! I spent my entire day doing this! I am completely exhausted! You just read ten pages of a new record length for me. At the end I forced myself to listen to the saddest music I could find so I could feel the emotions a little better. If it's a little on the corny side then please forgive me, it was the music, lol._

_Thanks for reading, I'm completely dead and I'm hungry! Please tell me what you think, thanks!_


	6. Chapter 5 Mind Games

Chapter Five – Mind Games

I hear the rain fly against the single window as I lay drowsily in the bed - only half awake. There is a loud roll of thunder outside and the bed starts to shake. My eyes snap open and my hazy mind only remembering a little of why that was important.

I notice the messed up sheets next to me and all the memories come rushing back to me. Jack's terribly sad tale and his skin against mine…

With my elbows, I push myself up in a sitting position and blink a few times to adjust to the dim lightning. A pale-bluish shadow casts from the window. Short, black lines fly down the square, representing the rain. A faint light shines from the flickering candle that rests on the dresser. Next to it, Jack hangs upside down from the top of the dresser with his nose in a book.

I'm about to ask if that's really safe when he beats me to the punch. His green eyes peak over the book and he grins at me, "Morning."

"Uh…morning?" I mumble, raising an eyebrow at his position.

He gives a little chuckle, "I find this comfortable."

"Because you're secretly a vampire?" I joke, grinning back at him.

"Darn, and I thought I hid it pretty well too," he winks at me and I start laughing. His eyes scan the book, reading each word carefully then he flips to the next page.

"What are you reading?" I question, combing my semi-tangled hair with my fingers.

"A book on the Hylian legends," he answers then peeps up again, "you didn't tell me you were named after the Goddess of Courage."

"Oh…y-yeah, I didn't think it was important," I mumble, nervously playing with my hair.

"And you have sisters named Din and Nayru?" he smirks.

"Well…actually…" I murmur, reverting my eyes from him. To my surprise, he starts laughing. I'm shocked for a moment but then realize that he found that humorous.

"What time is it?" I ask, quickly changing the subject.

"Eight, I've been up for two hours."

"You've been hanging for _two hours_?"

"No, just for the past five minutes," he winks at me again.

"Isn't all the blood rushing to your head?"

"Nah, vampires don't have blood." I giggle as he beams back at me.

My laughter dies down and I look at him. He suddenly flips off of the dresser and lands on his feet as softly as a cat. I feel my mouth fall open and my eyes grow wide.

"What?" he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking very uncomfortable.

"Since-," I begin but the loud rumble of thunder cuts off my voice. I now remember why the thunder was so bad. My sisters are looking for me! And by the deafening thunder, they must be really close…

"Farore? Far, you okay?"

"Huh?" I snap my head up. I must have been so lost in thought that I didn't see him come next to me. He waves his hand back and forth over my eyes for a moment then stops.

"You got lost in some kind of trance."

"O-oh…" I murmur and look fearfully out to the pounding rain hitting the window. "How long has it been raining?"

"More like gushing," Jack huffs as he too, stares out into the storm. "It's been thundering like crazy. It must be chasing us, I'm surprised you could sleep through all of the shaking."

"Shaking?" I echo, fear gripping my heart a tiny bit.

"Yeah, almost every time it thunders the entire building shakes."

"M-maybe we should leave then, it doesn't seem all that safe here."

Jack just shrugs his shoulders. "Possibly…that is, if you want to…"

"Why don't we go get some food," I quickly change the subject "I'm starved."

"Sure," he agrees, "I'm hungry too."

I gently push the covers away and place my feet on the cold, wooden floor. I stand up and smooth out my dress, silently wishing that it wasn't so tight on my arms – it would've made sleeping a little easier. Thinking back on it now I know I could easily fall asleep listening to the steady rhythm of Jack's breathing.

I quickly push the thought out of my head and force myself not to blush as I throw the cloak around my shoulders.

We walk down the hall in silence. The only noise is the haunting pitter-patter of the pounding rain and the deafening thunder.

I turn to Jack and try my best to get my mind off of it. "What are we going to eat?"

"They should be serving some porridge down in the lobby," he answers and trails off into thought. I watch him as he stares into the distance, deeply thinking about something. I'm tempted to see what it is but I'm able to force my devious mind to stay away.

We enter the lobby and find that Jack is right. Cups of porridge sit on a bumpy, old table in the corner by the fireplace. There are more people crammed in the small lobby than I had expected. With my advanced goddess mind, I instantly count ten people – not including us.

We walk through the noisy groups of people towards the table. I see some guy stare at me as I walk by and I notice Jack instantly get closer to me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see him giving the man a quick glare telling him to back off.

The corners of my mouth twitch upwards for some reason and I have no idea why. My heart starts feeling lighter and my doubting mood gets from "I'm dead" to "I'm pretty sure I'll be dead soon."

Jack and I each take a bowl and a spoon then sit in the only open area by the fire. The heat scorches my back and I start to sweat. I understand that this would annoy most people but I've never been burning hot before. It's not as pleasant as the rain but it still feels interesting. It's like a blistering tingling across my back and it doesn't ever seem to stop. Even though it's not great, it still feels better than the cold.

"So what do you want to do now?" Jack asks and goes to take a sip of his breakfast.

I shrug my shoulders and force myself not to say anything about leaving. Maybe I could just hide in the room until they leave. "I'm not sure, what do you want to do?"

"Well," he begins thoughtfully, "I'd like to get a job."

"What, don't like snatching the bandits anymore?" I joke, winking at him.

He grins back at me, "Nah, I got a little bored."

I give a little giggle as thunder shakes the building again.

Once it dies down I look back at Jack and see his green eyes twinkling. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful laugh?"

"Really? No one has ever told me that before," I answer honestly and I feel my own eyes light up.

"Are you serious? No one has ever told you that?" He gasps and smiles at me, "I bet you're a great singer too."

"Well, looks like you'll never know," I grin back at him.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to sing."

"Why, I bet you'd be amazing!"

I shrug my shoulders, still grinning, "I've never really wanted to before." I had tried singing once but I couldn't really impress anyone else because the only people I had were Din and Nayru. They could easily compete with my voice so singing wasn't much of an option. Even though, I was better at instruments than them because I invented most of it.

"Are you shy?" He asks.

"Me? Shy?" I start laughing again at the thought. When you're the Goddess of Courage it's hard to be shy.

As if my laughing had caused some kind of signal, the door suddenly slams open and two beautiful girls walk in. Drops off water drip off of their red and blue hair, but they still look amazing.

_Darn it!_ I scream at myself in my mind. _If they see Jack then they might go a little overboard and think he kidnapped me. They can't see us together._

"Sorry," I quickly say as I stand up and place the porridge on the ground. "I have to go now! My sisters just came in and they can't see you!"

"Huh? Why?" Jack asks as he stands up on his feet.

"I'm not supposed to be out here and they may think of you as some kind of kidnapper. I'm sorry, Jack, thank you so much for everything!" I'm about to turn around when he grabs my arm and stops me.

"Will I see you again?" He asks me sadly.

I smile warmly and stare into his green eyes. "If they don't kill me first then you can count on it."

I see him smile as I spin around and sprint towards the girls.

Din's crimson eyes land directly on me while I run to them.

"Farore!" she gasps and Nayru spins around to me.

"Where have you been!" Nayru squeaks as she embraces me in a tight hug.

"We've been looking _everywhere_!" Din groans and throws her arms around me as well.

"Sorry guys, I've been busy," I say with a small smile in my voice while I think back to the memories.

Nayru yanks her arms away and glares. "Why are you here anyways? Did someone take you?"

I shake my head and force that unnatural courage to rise up within me. Nothing is scarier than having Nayru and Din both wanting me dead for the same reasons. They never get along unless I've done something stupid or wrong.

"No, I came to Hyrule."

"What! Why!" Din hisses, her red eyes burning into me though I see some confusion behind it.

"Listen guys," Nayru interrupts "we really should talk about this back _home_. In other words, we should leave right now."

Din groans, "fine…"

"And we want the whole story," she adds before she marches out the door with extreme elegance…if that was even possible.

I take a quick glance to where Jack watches with giant green eyes. He is probably amazed at the beauty of my sisters. I feel suddenly lonely without him and I long for him to stroke my hair like he did last night.

_I thought touching people was bad, and now I _want _him to touch me? That's a little weird…_

He waves goodbye and all I can do is mouth "see you later" before I'm forced out the door.

Without a word, Din and I follow Nayru behind the wet stairs. She closes her eyes and starts concentrating on a large puddle below her. Din taps her foot impatiently until golden flecks start dancing off of us and into the newly made portal in the water. I feel the cold, moist air and the hard hit of the rain leave me as warmer and calmer weather comes to me. I force myself not to sigh when the sound of the pounding rain fades away to the soft, serene feel of the Sacred Realm.

Once my wet feet land softly on the stone floor, I open my eyes and take a big breath. After being in Hyrule with all of that commotion and noise, the Sacred Realm suddenly seems so…unreal.

Nayru and Din walk over to a square of tan chairs placed around a glass coffee table. Forgetting the urge to sigh (again), I walk over to the chair across from Din, and Nayru starts the conversation.

"Why were you there?" she asks, her voice remaining calm and curious.

"I was bored and curiosity got the better of me," I reply nonchalantly as if it was something so little and simple.

Across from me, Din's eyes go wide and her mouth falls open. "You what!"

"I told you," I shrug simply, trying my best to play my cards right.

"Even after all of what Deus has taught us and you go running of because you were _bored!"_ Din stands up and glares down at me, her voice begins to rise.

"Well, I was planning on secretly helping people and I wasn't just bored, I was curious-,"

"I don't care what you were! You completely forgot what we're especially not supposed to do! Never, _ever,_ do you go into the world with the humans unless there are extreme circumstances! Being _bored_ does not count!"

"Well weren't you ever curious!" I yell back at her, also getting to my feet.

"Of course I was but respecting Deus was more important than my own needs!"

"I do respect him!" I shout back into her face.

"If you did then none of this would've happened!"

"Please, please calm down!" Nayru jumps into the argument. We grow silent but the air is buzzing with our previous anger and it radiates off of us. "Now," she begins coolly "let's sit back down and talk about this _appropriately_."

Din and I give her a little snicker then plop back down into our seats. Nayru gently sits down and her dark, wisdom filled eyes scan each of us.

"Obviously Farore shouldn't have gone," she says evenly and she turns her gaze onto me, daring me to object. I sit their quietly, not afraid of either one of their stares. "We all make mistakes and we are goddesses. Mistakes are not aloud. We are fortunate that nothing drastic happened and everything is all right. Now you mustn't go back, Farore. It could've been a lot worse."

_I don't see how fighting off bandits and running from guards should really be considered fortunate but if you want to look at it that way…_I think angrily in my head, still irritated by the earlier display.

"Do you promise not to go back?" she asks in her smart-person-totally-in-control tone.

I hesitate for a moment, pretending to think about it. Then I strongly say yes.

Nayru nods her head but Din isn't quite done yet. She can easily get over arguments and predicaments quickly. A big grin crawls its way onto her tan face and a mischievous gleam sparkles in her eyes. "So what did you do there?"

"Um…" I mumble and begin to think about it. What should I say? I can't mention Jack or anything that involves him.

That would be everything.

"Don't go getting ideas into her head," Nayru snaps at Din and I'm relieved to see an argument starting between them again.

"Well don't you want to know?" Din winks at her and Nayru rolls her eyes.

"I'm smart enough to know not to ask."

"Sure," Din scowls and tosses her hair, "just because you have that whole wisdom thing going on doesn't mean you can _always_ be right."

"I may not always be right," she growls "but I am most of the time."

"But not now," she smirks and Nayru shoots daggers at her.

I give a little chuckle, "I'm going to go rest, I'm a little tired." They don't even notice me as I walk out the door. The last thing I hear is,

"I'm pretty sure love is a much better weapon than your smarts."

I shake my head and a smile crawls its way on my face. They're completely different people but I love each of them with all of my heart.

Walking up the marble stairs to my room, I can't help but think back to Jack. I picture him in my mind, his blond hair, round ears, and amazing green eyes. I defiantly don't want to forget him. I close my eyes for a moment and imagine him touching my face again. So warm, so soft…

_What in the world am I doing!_ I scream silently at myself and start walking faster. _You're not supposed to want people to touch you! That's just wrong!_

I let out a moan before I swing around the corner and march down the hall. The harder I try not to think of him the more he comes up.

_Maybe if I think of all of the bad things about him. Yeah, that should work. Okay, number one…_

_He stutters and mumbles uncontrollably sometimes – no wait, I like that._

_Fine then, skip number one. Number two…_

_He worked with that bad guy…but that was because he needed to and he'd been living on his own for eight years…_

_I guess I'm skipping number two as well. Number three?_

_..._

_Ah, forget this!_

I fling my door open and storm into my giant room. Inside, it's like my own little home away from home. The first room is a beautiful lounging area. Light pours from the oculus and dances on the marble floor. A glass table is next to the right wall and is covered with books and papers. Four glass chairs are at random angles along the sides. A moss green framed window lets the golden light glisten along all of the glass. On the left wall a long, dark green couch sits in front of an empty fireplace. I had never needed to actually use it since the weather was always perfect here.

My feet lead me across the cool stone and towards a white door. I open it and continue through the eating area to my bedroom.

I fling myself onto the large bed against the wall under a huge window. My fingers twiddle with the shamrock colored blankets as I scan my room. The same brilliant light seeps through the window and lights up the entire room. A long bookshelf takes up almost the entire right wall except for a small area where a door leads to my own giant closet. Another glass desk sits against the left wall next to a light brown couch. A grass green rug sits on the wooden floor and takes up most of the room.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I desperately search for any kind of noise I can listen to. To no surprise, I don't hear a thing. All I hear is Jack whispering, "_Nah…it's beautiful."_

I shut my eyes tighter and now I just see his shining green eyes starring at me.

You have got to be kidding me…

I can't go back to the world below, I had promised Nayru I wouldn't. She would kill me if she found out that I had left again.

I give a little huff, like she would notice…

Even when I'm thinking of Nayru I still seem to go back to Jack. It's like he's calling me and telling me "Hey, Farore! Want to go on some more adventures? You know you want to…"

My thoughts about him seem to jump randomly to one topic to another. One moment I'm thinking about us running through the shadowy streets and the next I'm wondering how he could live so long by himself in a city where everybody wanted him dead. Though they all believed he was already gone, it still must have been hard. No one deserves what he had gotten; it wasn't fair.

Now my mind jumps to when he kept playing with my hair. I find it funny and the corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. I bet he'll miss doing that. I release a longing sigh and remember when I hugged him and he hugged me back. His hands felt so nice as they went through my hair.

My heart starts pumping harder and my face feels hot. Why in the world am I feeling this way? Am I sick? Goddesses don't get sick, that's a fact.

I run my own hand through my hair in aggravation. Darn it, why shouldn't I be allowed to be with somebody. I'm a goddess and he is the only friend I've ever had. (Besides my sisters, they don't count.)

Releasing another irritated groan, I crawl my way to the head of the bed and stare out the window and towards the view below. All I can think of is one thing.

Jack.

_Author's Note_

_Farore couldn't run from her sisters forever! Now it seems like she's going to be especially bored after all of that excitement._

_So I tried to capture a little bit of the sisters' relationship and characteristics. Din and Nayru agree a lot because they're completely different people. Farore is always in the middle and sometimes just leaves them alone or tries to solve the problem herself. Din is more impatient and quick thinking when it comes to something physical while Nayru if very patient and catches onto idea quickly but she likes to take her time. I hope I showed a little bit of that in this chapter but I'll probably do that in the ones to come._

_Obviously Farore can't get her mind off of Jack and how he kept playing with her hair. (ha ha) What can I say? She's starting to like him more! Who knew sleeping together would change a relationship ;-)_

_I just hope you are all enjoying this story so far and please tell me for any advice or if you just want to leave a comment for the heck of it!_

_Thanks!_

_Wave_


	7. Chapter 6 The Beauty in Everything

Chapter Six – The Beauty in Everything

I blink open my sleepy eyes and stare at the golden morning light hitting my room. Releasing a sad sigh, I don't even bother with trying to hold back my angry thoughts. There isn't any reason to be positive when all I get to look forward to is another long, boring day in the Sacred Realm.

I push myself up and slip on a leaf green dress with long sleeves and a skinny, ivory ribbon wrapped around my waist – just for decoration.

Knowing I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, I take my time to brush and arrange my green hair in any style I want. Just for the heck of it, I put it in braids and buns. In the end, I just use a silver clips with the most detailed flowers painted on it to hold my hair back in a long ponytail.

I enter the private kitchen to see that it's empty. As I walk past the table my eye instantly catches onto a piece of paper and I know that it's for me.

_Farore, _

_I'll be in the library all day coming on a break through with something called "electricity." Maybe in a few years we can have a human invent it down below in Hyrule. However, that is beside the point. Din is going to go practice fighting (again) with some new soldiers. We'll both be gone for a while but why don't you go into the city or the borders to keep yourself busy?_

_We'll see you later,_

_Nayru._

My eyes narrow slightly at the "why don't you go into the city or the borders to keep yourself busy" part. What she is really trying to say is "Keep yourself so busy that Hyrule doesn't even cross your mind for a second you idiot."

OK, so maybe the idiot segment may not be true but most people would agree with me when I say _never_ tamper with an angered goddess.

Yet the idea is appealing and I'm tempted to go into the city. Maybe I could distract myself from Jack and the rest of the things down there in the other world.

With a somewhat hopeful heart, I begin to walk to the main entrance and head out into the city.

Using simple mind magic, I easily open the giant silver doors and what comes to me is a giant expanse of a million different types of buildings. There are little huts and giant mansions. In the Sacred Realm, the new lives (dead people) get to have whatever they want. If they don't want to feel cold as they dance through the snow then they're not cold. If they don't want to go to bed one night then they get to feel refreshed. They control their bodies and it's temperatures. To them, this is as close as they will ever get to a perfect life since nothing is ever really perfect.

_But they had their fill on a normal life. Paradise isn't as wonderful when you've been in it as long as I've had._

I immediately stop in my tracks. Am I complaining about the Sacred Realm, about my home? What has gotten into me! This is the best place anyone would want to live! I can't be annoyed by this, it's beautiful and safe and peaceful, what more could I want?

I'm finally able to get a control of my thoughts and dismiss any idea about what I was just pondering. With a confident and graceful stride, I walk into the city. My feet travel across the shiny stone road as people begin to lean out of windows and dash through the doors. They all smile and wave enthusiastically to me and I put on a fake smile and wave back to them. The new lives all love my sisters and me to death, literally. Whenever they see us it makes their day even closer to being perfect.

I turn a corner and more people come running out of their homes. Some of them start yelling, "I love you Farore!" or "Thank you _so_ much for everything!"

My heart feels light with happiness as I look at the joyful faces. It's amazing at how much they love their goddesses; at how much they love me.

A shy looking man in a coat made out of silk and wispy black hair slowly steps in front of me.

I stop and look into his old eyes. My enhanced mind goes into his and I see who he is.

_-War Veteran_

_ -Has been dead for 120 years_

_ -Lives with his wife and three kids_

_ -Loves cabbages_

"Excuse me, my lady," he addresses me with as much strength as he can to hide his shyness. "I-I was wondering – that is if you are OK with it – t-to have some rain before the one month storm b-because-,"

"Please Garret, be as relaxed as if we were eating a dinner with cabbages," I say kindly and smile at him warmly.

He gives a little chuckle and loosens up. "Yes, my lady, how foolish of me. It is just that rain only once a month is sometimes a little…weak. Many of us would love to see some different weather. That is…if you don't mind."

I give this a quick thought. More people besides _me_ want rain as well? Maybe a lightning storm…oh, that would be so exciting!

"Well, Garret, that does sound rather lovely," his eyes instantly light up and a large murmur ripples through the crowd. "I promise you that I will run that by my sisters and see what they think. Maybe we can have some different kind of weather more often."

He nods his head rapidly and enthusiastically. "Oh yes, my lady, that would be very wonderful!"

I smile at the people again and I'm about to turn around when a thought suddenly strikes me.

"Excuse me, Garret?" I ask him, slowly turning around again. He spins to meet me and says politely.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Why exactly do you want to have rain?"

"Well," he begins, slightly nervous, "It's just that paradise can only be paradise for so long – if you don't mind me being truthful."

"No, of course not."

"Many of us do miss the land below and we would love to be as close to life as possible."

"You mean like re-living it all over again?"

He nods again, "Exactly! To be honest, I can't imagine being able to live in this heaven without experiencing the world below before hand."

I instantly run that through my mind again. "_…Without experiencing the world before hand."_ What did he mean by that? Is he saying that because I've lived here all of my life it doesn't really seem all that perfect? Can perfection only be found after suffering?

"Thank you, Garret, I was simply curious," I smile kindly at him and he grins back.

"No need to thank me, my lady. Always happy to help." I wave good-bye to everyone then start walking as fast as I can back towards the palace.

_Forget what Nayru and Din says! _I hiss angrily in my mind as I fly past the people around me. _No one is going to hold me back! I've tasted the fresh air below and I want it all!_

I'm now sprinting towards the palace with only one thing on my mind. I'm going to go back into Hyrule, find Jack, and spend one marvelous day with him!

I reach the garden at full speed and come to a sudden stop by the water. Magic builds up inside of me and golden sparkles instantly form around my excited body. I force the teleporting to come faster and it does.

It comes so fast that I don't even feel the gradual pull of Hyrule. One moment I'm staring into the clear water and then next I crash onto a wooden floor and I stare up at a dark ceiling.

I lie there for a moment and gasp for air. What in the world came over me! I completely forgot everything just so I could be with Jack again! What is happening to me!

The sound of the ruffling of sheets catches my attention and I look to my right. Restraining myself from releasing a relieved sigh, I notice that I landed in the room where Jack and I had stayed last night. It's extremely dark with the only window's shutters closed. A dark form rolls over onto its other side and reaches out for something.

At this time, I push myself up and make a tiny noise but that's all the young man needs. He throws himself up into a sitting position with a long knife in his hand and an angry expression on his face.

"Who's there!" he barks.

For a moment I'm scarred to death. Is he planning on using that knife on me? But then I remember that he can't see in the dark and he has no idea who I am.

"Relax Jack," I say lightly and carefully walk my way over towards the bed. I sit down on the very edge and smile at the dark figure, turning off my night vision. "It's just me, Farore."

"Farore?" Jack echoes. "How in the world did you get in here? Why are you here? Your sister's didn't kill you? What are you -,"

I give a little giggle "One question at a time please."

"Right, sorry."

I reach down to the floor and pick up the extinguished candle. With a snap of my fingers the flame lights right back up again. A dim, orange glow circles Jack and I. I turn my body around to face Jack again, causing the light to dance around us.

I hold back my surprise when I find that he's shirtless. The candlelight brightens his body and really embosses his build. I would have never thought that he could have that well toned of a body. The pale blue blanket rests in his lap and I barely see his pants from under it.

"Still not awake?" I smirk at him, masking the fact that I had been admiring his body for the past few seconds.

He rubs his sleepy eyes and yawns, "I am now."

"Sorry, I probably should've knocked," I twiddle with my hair again, a now nervous gesture I seem to have picked up.

"Nah, that's OK. You just scared me when something fell from the ceiling," now he smirks at me and I just playfully scowl at him. He reaches back towards his bedside table and places his knife down.

"I'm surprised to see you alive. I thought for sure they would kill you," he jokes as he leans against the headboard.

I grin down at him, "It was pretty tough, especially when they dragged me back home and found out that I _wasn't_ kidnapped. But with my mad skills they couldn't touch me."

He gives a little laugh, "Seems like your whole family has interesting hair."

"Hey!" I playfully push his shoulder "There is nothing wrong with fabulous colored hair! You're just jealous!"

We both start laughing and once it dies down Jack comments, "I don't think I'd look very good with green hair."

"Oh yeah, good point," and I give a little giggle as I imagine Jack with my color hair.

"So how long are you staying?" He asks.

"My sisters should be gone the entire day and won't get back till late so I think I can spend a good day with you."

"Great," he grins up at me and his green eyes light up "Do you want to get some food or go around town…I don't know."

"Well," I begin "I suggest you go get some clothes on before we do anything."

He glances down at his bare chest and his face goes bright red, finally realizing that he was shirtless. "Oh yeah, good point."

I gracefully slide off of the bed and start walking towards the door, "I'll be outside in the hall way, just come out when you're done."

I don't wait for a reply and quietly close the door as I step out into the brightly lit hallway. Sunlight pours in from a window at the end of the hall and I lean out of it to stare at a sunny, bright day in Hyrule. I'm looking down into the market place and see only the working people stepping out of their homes. A burly man marches into his weapons shop, ignoring the giant leftover puddles and splashes through them. The tiny, mask shop owner skips over puddles with a sack slung over his shoulder as he joyfully enters his shop. I recognize the woman who sold me the dress talking to a little girl with a white bonnet.

These people, this place…I created them. I helped them grow. It's like looking down on your finished painting and noticing all of the amazing details in each and every little thing.

My mind wonders back to Jack's story from two nights ago. It only seemed like yesterday when he explained everything to me. I can't help but think that the gods or goddesses of that land are one of those people who just like to play around with the humans.

_Maybe I know the rulers of his land. Oh wait, he never told me the name, I'm going to have to ask him later._

Though I like the idea of having a friend from another land. Goddesses and Gods can only control blood born people of their land. Jack has no Hylian, Kokiri, or any kind of genes from the people of Hyrule. That means that I am not able to make him do anything I want (even though I would never do such a thing!) but I can still do physical magic to him like entering his mind and healing wounds. Maybe his gods and goddesses can ally my sisters and me.

Just then, I hear a door opening from behind me and I turn to see Jack fully clothed in a dark brown tunic with long sleeves and taupe gray leggings that tuck into his midnight brown boots. A small pouch is attached to his belt and seems to be bulging with something round.

"You wear a lot of dark colors," I comment, smiling slightly to show I mean no offense.

He glances looks down at himself and shrugs, "colorful clothes are expensive. The dyes are hard to get for the tannery and weavers."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," I mumble to myself, feeling a little foolish.

"Anyways," Jack continues, "do you want to get breakfast or do something else…or not…uh…"

"That's OK, I already ate sleepy head."

"Ha, all right," he grins at me as we begin to walk down the hallway. "I'll just eat an apple for now." He reaches into his pouch and takes out a golden apple (which was the bulge) and takes a big bite. We walk down the steps and through the lobby in silence while Jack munches down on his apple. I actually didn't eat but one of the perks about being immortal is getting rid of your hunger.

Once we're outside I'm surprised to see so many more people than before. The dancing couple is still at it by the fountain and the little girl is now being chased by the cuccoo.

Jack takes another bite and then quickly swallows it. "So what do you want to do?"

I think about this for a moment. I really don't want to be among all of these people for to long, it's just that the Market Place gets really loud really fast.

"How about the field?"

"The field? Where's that?" He raises and eyebrow at me and I find his silly confusion sort of cute.

"Right outside, remember?" I giggle.

He gives a little chuckle, "Right…I knew that."

I roll my eyes and start walking towards the gate with him hot on my tail.

While we walk down the lane, I stare up at the wonderful blue sky. Thin, white puffy clouds slowly crawl across the large expanse of blue. The tops of the trees seem to caress the sky whenever a breeze ruffles its leaves. Some even look like they're stretching up to the heaven as if they want to grow so tall that they'll be able to see the Sacred Realm.

"Some people say you can see heaven on clear days like this," Jack says into my ear as he tosses his apple core into a trash bin. I turn my gaze onto him. His green eyes stare far off into space while he looks up into the sky. "But heaven certainly doesn't see me," he whispers sadly to himself and so quietly that I have to use magic to hear.

_But I'm here, I am heaven, I see you._

"I wonder how tall the sky is," Jack thinks aloud, his voice louder than before.

"Millions and millions of miles is my guess," I reply and he finally takes his eyes away from the sky and stares back down at me.

"I never thought of it that way."

"I also believe that the Earth is actually round – not flat."

"Now I defiantly haven't thought of that. How could that be true?"

"Once we get outside I'll show you," I smirk at him and begin to take longer and quicker strides so I can march ahead of him.

"Look right over the hill and to the horizon," I explain to Jack, pointing towards the horizon line. We're standing near the bass of a hill and next to the cold river gushing towards the moat.

"OK, now what?" Jack asks, keeping his gaze on the top of the hill.

"Don't you see it? If you look carefully you can see that the sky seems to look like a dome. Try scanning up and down the sky and you'll get it."

Jack's brilliantly lit green eyes scan up and down the sky like I told him and he concentrates hard to see it. A second later and his eyes grow a little bigger as he finally sees the dome.

"Whoa," he gasps and continues to stare at it, "I see it!"

"Guess I'm not so insane after all," I joke.

"Ha, guess not," he agrees and then turns back to me. A big grin forms on his face and his eyes sparkle. I think it's just pure happiness. "So why did you want to come out here?"

I smile warmly back at him and give a little shrug. "I just think it's beautiful." With a wave of my hand I gesture to the long grass dancing in the warm breeze. A gust of wind creates a ripple in the hills and ruffles our hair. In the distance I can see the shape of Lon Lon Ranch standing proudly on top of a hill.

"You know what I just realized?" Jack says.

"What?" I ask, slightly confused.

"You have a knack for finding the beauty in everything."

I stare up at him, completely taken aback. That was probably one of the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Well, maybe that's a lie but it certainly feels really good to hear that.

He just smiles warmly at as the sunlight strokes the side of his face. My heart flutters around in my chest and my stomach twists around in my stomach. What in the world is wrong with me lately!

"T-thanks," I manage to say, breaking through the big lump in my throat. _Why does this little compliment send me over edge? Honestly, I've got to get this together!_

"No problem," he breathes and we stand like that for a while. I simply stare into his green eyes while he stares into mine. When I'm looking into them I see the vast forest of the Kokiri and the sweeping plains of the Field. It's as if it is the beginning of the world again and there isn't one building in sight. It's just the canopy above me and the grass tickling my feet.

"Come on," I finally break our long, silent trance. "Let's go over in the shade." I quickly turn away and start walking towards a tall tree.

"Hey Farore!" Jack calls and joins my fast stride with a goofy grin on his face. "Want to see something neat?"

"What would that be?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

He lets out a little chuckle and a wink, "I'll show you."

Suddenly, Jack races ahead of me towards the tree. He throws himself at the ground and does a flawless front half twist where his body begins doing a front flip but then quickly does a 180 spin so his back is facing a large branch. He then does a back handspring, but when his feet land on the ground he gives a huge push and goes flying into a back flip and the next thing I know is that he's sitting on top of the branch as if he had just climbed up the tree.

Whoa.

Jack grins at me while I stare at him with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide. Since when could he do _that_?

"Wow," I gasp, "When could you do that!"

He starts laughing and motions for me to come on over.

"Um…I don't think I can do all of those flips…"

"Don't worry, I'll just help you up." He smirks at me and I just giggle as I walk over towards the tree awkwardly. He reaches down to me and I let him grasp my hand tightly as he helps me up the tree. I somehow find myself sitting next to him with my legs dangling above the dancing grass. My fingers trace patterns in the trunk and the wind makes the leaves sing.

"So how did you learn to do all of this flipping and stuff?" I ask, truly curious.

"Well, when I was eleven," Jack begins and I quickly calculate that in my head. This means that he's been a year in the streets and eleven months as an orphan. "I was pick pocketing some random old man when he suddenly spun around and snatched my hand right as I was about to take off with his money. He had a stringy white beard and bushy eyebrows to match. His beady eyes glared down at me and he asked me what I was doing. I couldn't think of any good lie to show why I had his money in my right hand so I tried to run from him.

"That didn't do me much good because he stuck out his legs and tripped me so I fell flat on my face. He asked me who I was and where my family was and I told him that my name was John and that I had no family. With that, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away. The whole entire time I thought he was taking me to the guards but instead he took me back to his little apartment above the bakery. He locked me in the bathroom with a tub of water for a bath and this giant platter of food. He told me to do whatever I thought was best and would come back for me in the morning. After an hour of waiting I finally gave in and shoved down the food and took a bath. Unfortunately, I had to sleep on the floor but I was used to that by then. In the morning he strictly told me what we were going to be doing that day. He gave me more food and hit me with a cane," at this Jack starts laughing at the memory and I look at him with confusion. "He had asked me how I was feeling and when I said fine he just smacked me with his cane. He then started chasing me around with it and yelling at me to fight back. After a few more whacks I got angry and the next thing I knew we were fighting each other with canes. From that point on he would teach me how to fight, use arrows and swords, and, of course, do flips."

"That old man taught you how to do _all _of that?" I gasp and stare at him with wide eyes. From the past few days I've learned that Jack has the most adventurous life I have ever seen.

"Yep, he was surprisingly fit for an old person," he chuckles again at some old memory that I have no hope of understanding.

"What happened to him?" I ask, slightly worried for the answer.

Jack releases an anguished sigh, "He died later of a really bad sickness. Right before he died I told him who I really was and he just grinned up at me and asked me 'Do you think I'm stupid?' I shook my head no and he died with a grin on his face. I was thirteen and had learned everything I knew from him. He gave me all of his money, his house, and pretty much everything he had. I lived there for a long time. I kind of miss that place…it always smelled like bread and the house was constantly warm. He told me that he would always watch over me…that I was like the son that he never had."

"Oh Jack," I whisper and stare down at the ground below, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I am so, so sorry. You don't deserve all of this…not one bit of it…"

"Don't worry about it Farore," he smiles warmly at me and I look up at him in surprise. "I got over it, I'm fine with it now."

"But…" I mumble though I'm cut off by a shake of his head.

"It's alright now, everything is fine."

"Your life certainly sounds more exciting than mine," I comment, mostly to myself.

"Huh, why?" He asks and looks at me curiously.

"Well, my whole life I've been stuck in some fabulous home with a fabulous life and I was told to never leave. I didn't mind – I mean – it all made sense. The outside world was cold and scary with dangerous people and harsh weather. But I…I got tired of it. The first day I left was the day I met you-,"

"Wait, you didn't go outside _once_ for eighteen years?"

I nod and frown, "I had no idea what I was missing. Well, I wasn't too fond of those bandits but that was probably one of the most exciting things that I have ever done. My sisters and I have been trapped in our home for so long, though they haven't ever been outside before yesterday when they went to get me."

"Why couldn't you leave?" Jack questions.

I shrug, "It was the rules we followed ever since we were born."

"What about your parents, did they think of that?"

"I guess you could say so. But I don't have a mom and my dad died just recently."

"Oh," he says, a bit taken aback. "I'm so sorry, I know how you feel." I suddenly feel his warm hand gently rest on top of my hand.

It's like that touch allows me to express my emotions. Tears begin to fall down my face and I feel so alone. I barely ever felt this way – so lonesome that I cry about it! A million thoughts swarm around my mind at a million miles per hour. The full effect of his death finally hits me. Being a goddess keeps me so isolated from people that I never felt so much pain before. I had cried a little the first night but I have a special gift of control. Deus had once told me it was because of my courage. If I don't want to feel sadness or anger, then I don't. It's a useful gift…yet a terrible one.

I inch towards Jack and rest my head on his shoulder. I don't care what he thinks or what I'm not supposed to be doing. I need someone by my side, to make me not feel so alone.

"Ssh," Jacks whispers as he tucks some of my hair behind my ear and out of my face. "It's OK, everything is going to be fine."

"I-I'm sorry," I sob. "If I'm getting your shirt wet."

"Don't worry about it," he cones and wipes away some of my tears. "It doesn't matter."

"I just wish he was here, he might b able to help me," I mumble to myself and continue to cry. I feel Jack gently wrap his arms around me to balance my body so I don't go falling off. With his free hand he continues to tuck random pieces of hair behind my ears in a comforting motion.

"It'll be alright. He's in a better place now, a place where he doesn't have to worry about a thing."

"I just wish I knew what that place was," I choke out the words. The images and memory of Deus come flooding back to me painfully. He wasn't just my master and teacher, but he was my father. What would he think of this? What would he think of me wanting to spend so much time with Jack? What would he say? How would he help me? Would I even tell him? There are just so many questions but so little answers.

"Do whatever you got to do to feel better," Jack cones softly as his warm hand strokes my face again, purposely catching my tears.

There it is again. My heart starts doing back flips and jumping around in my chest. I feel my face get hot and I know it's not because of the heat. How in the world can I feel this way when Deus just died!

I notice that my tears have stopped and Jack's hand leaving my face. The instant it leaves I feel less hot and my heart stops going insane but I'm still a little worried, what is happening lately?

"Thank you," I whisper and wipe my eyes while I straighten up and Jack inches away from me again, making space.

"It's OK, I know how you feel," he replies in a comforting tone.

"Sorry, that must have been a little random," I mumble as I fiddle with my hair. And I'm speaking an honest word -, this was slightly random. I had just poured all of my emotions on to him all at once. It's like a castle wall holding back the siege but only to be smashed to pieces as the army sweeps into the city.

"It doesn't matter, I know that's it's tough."

"Why don't we go do something?" I suggest, perking up a bit.

"Like what?" He asks.

"Well…" I think about this for a moment, "we could go to Kakariko."

"What's that?"

"It's such a nice, lovely village, much quieter than the market place. Are you up for it?"

He gives a small smile and a shrug, "Sure, why not?"

_Author's Note_

_ Sorry that it took me so long! I've been so busy with school and I just couldn't find the time! Though I do wish to thank everyone for reading, commenting, faving/alerting, and following my story! It means so much to me when I hear that another person had added my story to their favorites! So thank you!_

_ This chapter may not be all to eventful but it shows more into Farore and her messed up emotions. It also tells us more about Jack and his past. Yep, he has a lot of secrets ;-)._

_ Thank you again and please enjoy! Feel free to leave comments, critiques are welcomed!_


	8. Chapter 7 Dad, Mom, Amelia, and Angelina

Chapter Seven – Dad, Mom, Amelia, and Angelica

My feet carefully place themselves on each crumpled step. So many horses and carts going up them must have worn them down. It might've been better if the villagers had made a ramp but perhaps it's just for protection.

I've never been to Kakariko in person, as well for many other places. I want to go to everyone, especially the forest and the ocean. It was so long ago the first time I was there…

"So what's in Kakariko?" Jack breaks through my thoughts as he walks up the stone steps besides me.

"There isn't much besides a small inn, some shops, and a graveyard. Though the town is very cute. There is a tall windmill and a woman with a ton of cuccoos that she has trouble controlling."

Jack nods and we grow silent for a moment until another question strikes his mind.

"I thought you never been here before?"

"Huh?" I reply, snapping my eyes back to him.

"How could you know so much about the village if you have never left your home?"

_Darn it!_

"Oh," I say and put on my most innocent yet neutral face. "It's just what I've heard, that's all."

"Oh," he mumbles though I can tell he isn't to pleased with my answer. However, he can't think of anything to be able to dive deeper.

We continue up the stairs in silence. The moment we turn the corner I have to force myself to make sure I keep walking.

Kakariko is amazing.

It isn't beautiful like the Market Place but maybe it's even better. The sun shines down on the wooden buildings as the grass dances in the breeze. A few burly men are skipping throughout the village and a small group of teens are hanging around a tree that's standing proudly in the middle of it all, despite its small size. I hear a cuccoo call off in the distance and a little boy starts sprinting towards it with a small stick. As Jack and I walk slowly under the arch in front of the village, I feel like one of the few, honored people to walk into a secluded ball for the king.

I sense eyes starting at me and I glance over to the teenagers hanging around the tree. They are all shooting glances at me and whispering to each other. Using my enhanced hearing, I'm able to clearly hear what they're saying.

"Who is _that_?" One of the boys says in an amazed tone and the blonde girl next to him hits him on the shoulder.

"Shut up!" she growls.

"How did _he _get her?" Another boy huffs, shifting his glance towards Jack for a second. A few of the girls actually nod along with him.

"Strange color hair though," the girl who had hit the boy earlier states.

"Who cares," the boy next to her exclaims and she hits him again.

"_Shut up!"_

I ignore the teens and turn my attention to Jack who is also eyeing them. "What do you want to do?"

He turns his eyes away from them and back to me, "I'm not sure, though it took a while to get here and I'm a little hungry."

"You're always hungry," I say jokingly, releasing a little giggle.

"I have a big appetite," He grins back.

"Well, I'm hungry too so let's go get some food."

I start walking and he is quick to follow. I pretend to look around the village for some kind of restaurant but I already know which one I want to go to.

"How about that one?" Jack asks and points to a tall building. I silently chuckle to myself, that's my favorite place.

"The Cuccoo," I read off of the sign hanging above the door. _Funny name_, I can't help think to myself. The building is attached to a little pen with a woman next to it looking very worried. The only problem is that all of the cuccoos are missing again. The bottom of the building is a little eating area that she shares with her husband and above there is where the couple lives. "Want to eat there?" I ask Jack.

He shrugs, "Sure, why not?"

We head towards the door and I push open the wooden door. It gives a little creak as we walk into the large room. It slightly reminds me of the tavern but the place looks much more friendlier and safer. There is a small bar on the far side where they give out drinks _besides_ beer and rum. Small, wooden tables take up the rest of the room for either two or four people. Lazy workmen and a few couples already take up Five out of ten tables. A postman is fidgeting in his seat as he waits for his order to come.

A young, fifteen year old girl comes walking our way with a big, friendly smile on her face. "Table for two?" she questions.

"Yeah," Jack says, nodding. I notice that he seems a little nervous and I have no idea why.

"OK," she pipes up and leads us to a small table by the window. I gracefully sit myself down into the seat and Jack sits down on the one across from me. She pours water into our cups with a steel pitcher. "The menu is on the wall," she smiles one last time then rushes away to some annoyed group of workers.

"That's a nice idea," Jack states, gesturing towards the large sign on the wall that's the menu. "Now the waitresses don't have to memorize everything and say it again and again. Pretty clever."

I blush at this and give a small nod. Little does he know that I had thought of that idea myself when people had to keep re-asking for what was on the menu.

"So what do you want to eat, I can pay." Jack says, turning back to me.

"Oh no," I shake my head "_I_ am paying for this meal."

"No, it's OK-,"

"Nope, you already bought me food, a dress, and let me stay with you for a night. That means you have three points and I have none. When I pay for lunch then you'll have two and I'll have one," I explain, a small crawling onto my face.

"Actually," he begins with his own little grin. "I say that since you healed me and beat up those freaks then you have two points and I have one."

"No," I start as huge smiles spread its way on both of our faces. "You saved me from those perverts and let me stay in your room that first night so you get two and a half points already."

"Why 'and a half'?" He asks, raising his eyebrow. I can't help but give a little giggle; he's so cute when he does that.

"Because you gave me the bed so I figured I owe you a half a point."

He laughs for a moment, "Well, since you insist."

I join in his laughter just as the young girl comes back over here. We order our food and she quickly leaves again so I can continue what I was saying.

"Alright," I start again as the smile comes back on my face. "You then lied to me so that's minus a point. Now you have one and a half. But then I healed you and saved your life so that's two points for me."

"I think you should have three points," he pops in, a wide grin on his face.

"Don't try cheating yourself out on this one mister," I joke and playfully push him in the shoulder.

"Fine," he sighs sarcastically.

"But then I got us the horses so that's another half a point for me-,"

"Half?"

"Hey, I can't get to many points!" We start laughing again really hard. I admire Jack's laugh, it sounds so much more relaxed and happy. It's surprising that someone who had endured so much pain could actually be brought to laugh.

"But I bought us food, a dress, and a room for both of us so that is three more points for me," he explains after we're calm enough to talk again. "So now I have four and a half while you have three."

"No, I have two and a half." I correct him blissfully.

"Well…I added a half a point for having green hair." He smirks at me and I start laughing.

"I knew that would come in handy for me one day!" And now we're both laughing so hard that the couple across from us is eyeing our table. I find that so funny and it just makes me laugh harder.

We finally get control of ourselves but I still feel so light hearted and I know my eyes must be shining so bright with happiness. I try my best to remove my big grin but it refuses to leave. I shoot a glance at Jack and see that he is having trouble as well.

_Oh wow._

His eyes shine so brightly that I'm practically paralyzed. My heart starts fluttering though I still feel so happy and content I'm not sure if I'm nervous or if I'm just extremely happy.

"S-so can I buy?" I stammer. _Ah jeez, now I'm stammering!_

"Fine," He sighs sarcastically while he smirks.

There is a moment of silence as we take sips of our water. I try to think of something to say but I can't think of anything.

"What's your favorite color?" I blurt out, thinking up something totally random on the spot.

"Uh…I'm not sure," He mumbles, the corners of his mouth turned up as he places his glass on the table.

"You _must_ have a favorite color!" I yell at him playfully.

"Well what is your favorite color?"

"Guess," I smirk deviously at him and his grin gets wide again. He leans forward on the table and shoots back a mischievous smirk.

"Yellow," he answers. I let out a little giggle and lean across the table myself, mocking his smug expression.

"Guess again."

"Red."

"Nope."

"Blue."

"Not this time, buddy."

"Orange."

"Need a hint," I give a little wink.

"Sure," he smiles back at me.

"It matches your eyes…"

"Black," he mocks me by winking his own _green_ eye.

"How does that match your eyes?" I giggle blissfully.

"My pupil, silly."

"Try again," he goes to reply but I beat him first, "Here's a hint, it's not white."

"Hm…the color of my eyes," He taps his chin playfully, "Now what could that be…"

"You can do it!" I encourage him, laughing at both of us and he quickly joins in.

"Green!" He exclaims while I continue to crack up.

"There you go!" We start laughing our heads off again when I hear somebody cough from next to me. Jack and I turn our heads to look at the waitress. She clears her throat again and looks extremely awkward.

_What's her problem?_

But my question is answered when Jack basically launches himself all the ways back into his seat and I finally realized how close we just were. I can't believe I didn't notice that!

I fling myself back into my own seat and fiddle around with a lock of my hair. _Ah jeez…_

"Your food shall be here momentarily," she says in a sweet voice and doesn't wait another minute to walk away.

I stare out the window, secretly eyeing Jack out of the corner of my eye. He twists around his glass back and forth, starring at it like it was the most amazing thing in the world. His eyes are still sparkling and his ears are growing pink. You'd think someone who jump off of balconies wouldn't get so nervous.

_I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Should I talk first or wait till he is more comfortable. If I sip my water then he'll know that I'm feeling awkward – not that I am – I mean…I…ugh._

I continue to stare out the window, thinking of what I could do to take away the awkward silence. I absentmindedly take out the clip holding my hair up and my green locks tumble around me and over my shoulders. I twiddle around with the clip as I keep looking out into the view of the village when I notice Jack starring at me with wide green eyes.

I turn my eyes to him and ask in an innocent voice, "What?"

"Uh…n-nothing - just…" he stammers, his eyes flicking around furiously as he looks for something. "Looking at…your hair clip! Yeah, that is really extravagant! Can I see it?"

"Sure…" I mumble and hand him the clip. He takes it and I see his ears grow a deep shade of pink. "Thanks."

I sit back in my seat as I watch him examine my hair clip. He's obviously covering something up but what? He runs his fingers over the embedded flowers and vines and I see he actually is impressed with the craftsmanship.

A small smile crawls onto his face and he raises his eyes to meet mine, "I'm guessing you're a big a nature girl."

I let out a little giggle, "Yeah, I suppose you could say that."

"What do you like more, the forest or the ocean?"

I hesitate on this for a moment. Of course I love the forest but…I would absolutely love to see the massive waves of the salty water.

"I love the forest more but…" I begin, repeating my thoughts to him "I have never been to the ocean, and I would love to go there some time…"

"You haven't been to the ocean?" Jack gasps.

I shake my head sadly, "No, I don't really get out much."

He gives a little nod, "Right, sorry."

"That's OK," I mumble.

"How about-,"

"Here is your meal," The young waitress seems to pop out of nowhere with a plate in each hand. She places them down before us and straightens back up, "Can I get you anything else?"

"No thank you," Jack and I say in unison. She just smiles and quickly walks away.

I take a bite of my salad as Jack continues to talk, "As I was saying, how about one day I take you to the ocean. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as the forest."

I practically choke on my lettuce; _Jack is offering to take me to the ocean someday? That's amazing! I really did underestimate humans!_

"Really?" I exclaim and when he nods I can't help but cry out "Oh thank you, Jack! That is so nice of you!"

He just smiles at me with warmth and gives a little chuckle, "Well, that'll give me another point you know."

I laugh and grin, "I think I can live with that."

We then eat our food in silence, nourishing our empty stomachs. The salad isn't all too great but I don't really care. It doesn't matter all that much to me.

Jack and I finish our meals and I pay for our food. We leave the small restaurant and into the bright sunshine.

"Thanks for paying," Jack grins and nudges my shoulder with his elbow.

"No problem." It really wasn't, I could easily just make money out of thin air.

"So what should we do now?" He questions.

"Hm…" I think to myself. "You know how to use a bow right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, there is this a shooting gallery and I think it would be fun to see if you can get the high score," I shoot him an evil, playful smirk.

"I sure hope so," he chuckles "OK, let's try."

We walk our way towards the archery and enter the smoky room. At first I didn't think that Jack could be all that good but after the first five bulls eyes…I quickly changed my mind. He only missed three out of all of the targets and that's because I had playfully pushed him. He just laughed and continued shooting.

After taking the prize from the hairy man, we simply walked around the town talking.

Jack grins at me with his simple smile and it's so cute. The sunlight dances in his green eyes and I pretend not to notice. We stroll past the tall, proud windmill as its wings slowly creak back and forth.

"So what are your sister's like?" Jack asks, curiosity written on his face.

"They're wonderful," I giggle and smile.

"What are their names?"

"Din and Nayru," I reply.

"Whoa, you guys really are named after the goddesses!" He exclaims.

I just laugh at how ironic this all is. "Yes, I guess our father really believed them."

"What are they like?" He asks again, obviously intrigued.

"Well, Nayru is very beautiful with long blue hair – as you've seen. See loves the ocean and is very, very smart. Din is also pretty but it an different way, though I think you know what I mean," he nods, "They are both so different from each other and that is why they _always_ argue about anything! It's so funny to watch sometimes," I giggle back at the memories to myself.

Jack grins at me, "That sounds entertaining," he chuckles happily. "It reminds me of my dad and I."

"What was he like?" I ask as I feel my own eyes grown with curiosity.

"He was the complete opposite of my mom and I. He was always happy and it just made this mood about him…like whenever you were near him you just wanted to smile and help light up the room. He cracked jokes whenever he wanted too but he was also serious during times of predicaments and problems. I guess you could call him a little random, he had these mood swings sometimes, like he would be laughing one moment and then the next he would be hugging you and telling you that he was sorry. I used to always want to be just like him but I got more of my mom's genes."

"What was she like?" I question nicely.

"She was the sweetest person in the world…yet she was sad. She had a painful childhood and her father made her have a permanent frown before she was even six years old."

"What did he do to her?" I can't help but ask, though I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

"He was harsh, what else can I say? Whenever he was around everything had to be _perfect_. If it wasn't then he was going to destroy someone's day. I only heard stories that my sisters had told me but I barely remember him. When I was born he instantly didn't like me."

"Why?"

Jack smiles mischievously at me and it gives him a smug expression, "Because I had my mother's eyes."

I smile back at him and his smirk dissolves into a more gentle grin.

"He died later of pneumonia but no one seemed to care all too much."

"How else are you like your mother."

"Well, I was never one for anger. She hated it and did everything in a calm motion. Whenever you were near her you felt…giving, like you just wanted to make her as happy as possible…"

_I know how that is,_ I think to myself while I reflect on the air between us in the past.

"She loved her family and we were the only ones who could make her laugh. I guess that's why my dad loved her so much, he had just wanted to be with her all of those years."

There is a short silence as I allow Jack to release the sadden memory before I can speak up again.

"What about your sister's?"

He smiles to himself and lets out a little chuckle, "Now they were quite the pair. Amelia was two years older than me, and Angelina was one year older than her. They looked like twins at a glance but Angelina's hair was a dirtier blond than Amelia's golden color. Angelina had the darkest gray eyes in the world and Amelia had the lightest green eyes. They both loved making jokes and sarcasm. However, they could be very formal and tough whenever they wanted to be. They were beautiful even as young girls, I guess they got that from our mom. You could always find them together, and if they were apart, then something was obviously wrong."

"They all sound so wonderful," I say wishfully.

Jack smiles warmly at me and I see a hint of longing in his eyes. I realize that we're standing by the entrance to Kakariko and it would be wise to leave now before it gets to nightfall.

"You know what I really miss about my sisters?" He says, a mischievous gleam sparkling in his eyes.

"What?"

"We used to take turns carrying each other on our backs, like piggy pack rides."

I start giggling and smirk back at him. "Do you want me to carry you?"

He laughs at this and grins back at me, "Well, I don't know about that but someone as lovely as you shouldn't have to walk so far."

I start laughing and inch away from him, "Oh no, you are _not_ going to carry me-,"

But I don't get time to finish because Jack suddenly sweeps me off my feet and throws me onto his back. I let out a little yelp and clutch onto him.

"Too late," he smirks up at me and I just laugh.

"Go horsy!" I cry out and we both start cracking up as we walk out into the field below.

Jack continues to walk through the grassy plain, not showing any sign of tiring as I cling onto him, hoping I'm not to heavy.

I recall back on to everything that had ever happened to him. He had a perfect life and then it just got sucked away in the blink of an eye. It's amazing and terrifying how things can change just like that.

"Hey, Jack," I say in a soft voice, concern showing in my tone.

"Yeah?" He questions back.  
"I-I just wanted to say…" I mumble as I search for the right way to say it, "thank you for telling me all of that…you know, your past and stuff." I gently rest my head on his shoulder and I feel him nod next to me.

"I should be the one thanking you," he whispers back.

"I just think that…it's amazing that you are still moving on, that you are still with the living today."

He's silent for a moment and I'm worried I just said the complete wrong thing until he whispers, "What do you mean?"

"Well…" I hesitate and force myself to get it over with. "How come you are still alive because many people would have killed themselves after all of this was done. So…why are you still living? I'm sorry if this sounds really-,"

"No, you're right," he cuts me off suddenly. His voice is empty, as if he is trying to hide any emotion. "I guess I continue living and working because of what my mom once said to me. She told me that I should never waste anything and if I keep trying hard enough, good things will eventually come to me. Also, if I were to kill myself, then I would just be wasting the freedom that I was given too. I need to live…for them."

"I hate suicide," I say suddenly and I feel Jack's curious green gaze lock onto mine. I feel my eyes go distant and sad, "I guess I just love life…the beauty in it all. And I wanted to say that I'm happy and impressed by you," I shift my eyes to meet his and I know that I show warmth in them. "You're the strongest person I've ever met."

Jack's ears go pink again and he slightly blushes. "T-thanks…I think you're amazing too."

"Ha, ha, well thank you then," I smile kindly at him as the sun starts to set. I jump off of Jack's back. We are now standing outside the entrance into the market place and I see that we're reluctant to leave each other.

"Well," I begin slowly "I guess I'll see you later…"

"How about tomorrow?" He asks.

"I'll see if I can sneak out," I wink at him and he starts laughing.

"Yeah…I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Farore," He slowly starts walking away and I watch him go as we both keep saying bye to each other.

The moment he disappears into the dim light of the Market Place, I instantly warp myself back into my room in the Sacred Realm. Right as my feet hit the floor and I know I made it safely back, I collapse backwards onto the bed. The only thing I can say is, "oh wow."

_Author's Note:_

_OK everyone, I am currently looking for anyone who would possibly be interested in being a beta reader for my story (this one in case you were wondering, lol). I will happily give you credit in every chapter and I am very open-minded. If you are a beta reader and are interested in this story then hopefully you might meet some requirements: _

_-Most have knowledge in Ocarina of Time_

_-Have experience in romance_

_-Have other strengths BESIDES grammar and spelling._

_That's just the major stuff. Some extra pluses would be if you have good character development skills, description skills, or just plain good in general. I would LOVE for someone to be extremely and brutally honest! I don't mind that at all._

_Yeah, I have been searching for someone but it is hard to find people in romance._

_If you're interested then please either send me a note or leave a review. Thank you and I'd be more than happy to have you!_

_Anyways…_

_I had a writer's block when I was writing the second half of this so please forgive me if it isn't all that great. All of this "sad past stuff" with Jack won't happen that much anymore, this was probably the last major one. Next chapter won't be so…sincere I guess you could say._

_Besides, I needed to create a kind of base for the relationship. Poor Farore, she has no idea that she likes Jack more than a friend ;-)_

_Yeah, that whole suicide thing at the end was just something I decided to add after someone had asked me how Jack could be so fine with his parent's death and all that. Hope this answers it. And of course Farore would hate suicide, she invented life remember!_

_Well, please review (even if this chapter wasn't all too eventful) so I know what needs to be fixed and kept! Thanks!_

_Wave _


	9. Chapter 8 A New Opportunity

_Before we start, I have fogotten to say that I don't own Zelda or any of the characters besides my OC's. I'm sure you already know that but I figured I'd say that, just to be safe ;-)_

_OK, now we can get on to the story!_

Chapter Eight – A New Opportunity

"So what did you do yesterday?" Nayru asks, trying her best to keep her tone calm and nonchalant as she flips another pancake.

"I went to the city," I reply simply as I scoop up a finished pancake with my own spatula and place it onto the plate.

"So what happened there?" She questions when I hadn't said anymore.

"Well," I begin "Garret was wondering if they could possibly get rain _before_ the monthly storm."

"Why?" she looks at me curiously, confusion in her dark blue eyes.

"I guess they just want some change of weather, nothing major."

"Well...I suppose we could allow some rain…" she mumbles to herself as she places the last pancake on the platter. I certainly feel bad for the people down in Hyrule; they don't get this delicious meal. I'll be sure to have someone invent it later.

I carry the stack of pancakes over to the small, circular glass table as Nayru grabs three glasses full milk and set them up in a neat fashion. A few moments later, Din strides in with an air of confidence and power. She sometimes gets that way, like you just know that she is going to be very determined today and _nothing_ is going to stop her.

"So, Farore," she starts, sliding into her seat with the rest of us. "You want to come watch me teach some new moves to the new lives?" she grins devilishly at me and I control my face to show none of my worry.

"Oh, that's OK, Din. I don't want to interrupt on your training session," I say while I take a bite of my food.

"No sweat, it'll be fun. What else will you do anyways?"

"I was planning on making a new type of flower, something very extravagant and helpful."

"Oh," she says half-heartedly, "well, you haven't done that in a while."

I force myself not to glare at her and take a sip of milk instead. She was obviously mocking me; I have been creating different types of plants ever since Deus left.

"So what are you people going to be doing today?" I ask after a length of silence.

"I'm going to be spending all of my time in the laboratory," Nayru instantly jumps in, excited to be talking about her latest invention. "I have this huge hit on a way to control electricity and use it for our own personal needs."

"Like a weapon?" Din questions her, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Nayru scowls back her "why does _everything_ have to be a tool for killing with you?"

"It's not always for killing," she retorts, "it is sometimes for self defense."

Nayru just continues to glare at her with her eyes saying, "You've got to be kidding me" while Din simply smirks back at her.

"How about you," I turn my attention to the smug girl, quickly making sure another rant doesn't ring out.

"Like I said, all day with the new trainees-,"

"Why do you even need to learn more ways to fight?" Nayru suddenly cuts her off, obviously not letting her get off that easily. "I mean it just doesn't make sense."

"Well I'm sorry it isn't your cup of tea, _owl_, but some people are actually interested in this," Din snickers back at her, using the term "owl" as a little nick name she made up for Nayru five years ago. She likes to call her the "o wise owl" and "Miss. Owl" just to annoy her.

"Excuse me, _vulture_," she hisses back, also using her own pet name "but you can't fight without some smarts and strategy on your side."

"Is that all you ever think about – _strategy_!"

"Remember, brain beats brawn!" She snaps back.

"I'm just going to go…" I attempt to cut in.

"You want to test that!" Din cuts me off, yelling at Nayru while I quickly slide out of my chair and let them get it all out of their system.

"Can I go now?" Nayru groans back in a very irritated tone.

"Fine, the rest of the owlets are getting worried."

"I'm ignoring that," she grumbles and that's the last thing I hear as I sneak out the door.

I leave the sounds of argument and head to the nearest room. Normally, I would've tried to settle them down but this would all work better. Din would get so fired up that she would spend all day – maybe even night – in the barracks to let out her irritation. Nayru would lock herself up all day – also night – and try to impress and prove Din wrong with how well controlling electricity would be.

I, on the other hand, would spend my entire time with Jack…again.

Just the thought of this turns my mouth up into a smile and I feel much happier knowing that I'll see him again.

Opening up a random door, I step my way into an empty, pitch-black closet. I close the door and take in the darkness. Sometimes…it's good to get away from it all.

After a few seconds, I begin concentrating and I feel the magical pull of the land below. Its pull becomes stronger and stronger and I allow my self to just fall into it. The empty sound of the closet fades away to the people of the Market Place. I hear them talking and calling out to each other as a cart gets pulled across the rough cobbled stone road. Someone else starts cracking up at something that their buddy had said and I hear little kids splashing each other with the fountain water.

I feel my feet touch the uneven ground and I open up my blue eyes to the sight of the active market place. Today it seems that everyone is outside and enjoying the bright, sunny day. The area is so active that you'd think a festival was about to happen.

I know that Jack is near by; I had sent myself to the spot where he was. I continue to look around until I see him sitting in a table with another girl.

_Another girl? Who is she?_

Anger suddenly builds up in me as I keep staring at the blond girl who seems to be listening intently on something Jack is saying. I feel like I just want to come over there and tell her off but…why would I feel such a way?

I push the thoughts away and use my goddess hearing to drown out the background noise so I can just hear them speak.

"So who are you waiting for?" The girl asks in a sweet tone.

"My friend, she said that she'd come to see me today," Jack replies and I notice him scanning the place.

"When did she say that?"

"Yesterday," he mumbles and carries on looking.

"Who is she?" She questions again, cocking her head to the side.

Jack turns back to her and a smile forms on his face. "Her name is Farore and she has bright green hair."

"_Green_ hair?" the girl's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"I know, sounds strange but she is really…uh…you know…" he trails off and gets a sudden interest in the ground.

A smirk crawls onto her face and she tries to catch his eye, "No I don't know, can you tell me?"

"You know what I mean," he snickers.

"Come on," she teases "what do you want to say?"

Jack sighs and looks away, "She's beautiful, happy?"

The girl pauses for a moment and a look of annoyance crosses her face for a split second – a second so fast that only I could've picked it up.

"So what is she like?" the young girl finally asks, breaking the silence.

"Well, she is really nice and funny and I'm sure you'll like her a lot," he explains and I can't help but blush at this. He thinks I'm beautiful, nice, and _funny_. He gives me to much credit.

"So…she has green hair?" she states in a tone that seems to show that she is holding something back.

"Yeah, why?" he replies suspiciously.

"Is that her over there?" she looks past Jack and towards me. Jack looks over his shoulder and a big smile crawls across his face.

"Yep, told you so," he says to her, still staring at me.

I feel a little awkward so I give a little wave to them and start walking over. The blond girl stands up as I come closer to them. She has many freckles across her pale face and her brown eyes sign brightly.

I force myself not to feel angry towards her, she is an innocent girl and I have no reason to be irritated by her at all, so why do I feel so annoyed?

"Hey, I'm Mel," she chirps and happily grabs my hand and starts shaking it.

"H-hey, I'm Farore," I smile back at her and she gives a little giggle.

"Like the goddess?"

"You could say that."

I hear Jack's laugh from next to me while he stands up next to us.

"Jack was just telling me about you," she pipes in before Jack can say anything. He shoots her a confused glance but she pretends not to notice.

"Nothing bad I hope," I grin back and she laughs again.

"Not at all! I mean, he said you were beautiful but I thought he was stretching the truth! I guess that was an understatement, huh?"

"…Uh…" I mumble and I flick a glance at Jack to see his face start growing a dark shade of red.

"Yeah, OK," he says quickly, "How's it going, Farore? I'm guessing your sisters didn't kill you?"

"Yeah, I was able to sneak away again," I wink at him and we all laugh.

"Well, this is Mel as you know," he gestures to her. "I met her while I was trying to find a job in her father's bakery. Unfortunately there isn't anything I can do there so she's offered to help me look. Do you want to join?"

"Of course, sounds like fun," I smile at him while my anger goes down a little. _So Jack wasn't on some kind of date with her…_

_Oh, what does it even matter! Like I should care!_

"So," Mel begins "Do you guys want to go get some cider because I'm freezing over here!"

"Yeah, it's going to be a cold winter," I comment, noticing the golden and red leaves falling and tumbling off of the trees.

"I can pay-," Jack begins but I quickly cut him off.

"Sorry buddy, I'm paying again," I smirk at him and he playfully gives me a push.

"You paid yesterday!"

"What is your point?"

"Well…you know…"

Mel and I just start laughing and I find myself easing up to her. There is no reason to be annoyed by her; she is just a friend of Jacks. What's the point?

We leave the table and start walking towards a rickety cart leaned against the clothing store. A large man with a _lot_ of extra weight is calling to people and asking them to come buy some cider. I vaguely remember Din creating this drink at a lessen eight years ago. Deus had told us to make something that we really wanted. Nayru chose the largest book with the most information and I chose a healing plant that could cure anything. Din chose to create a warm drink that was a shade of red.

When Deus asked her why she made that out of everything she could've chosen, she had merely smiled and took a sip of the cider, "I'm thirsty and I really wanted a drink."

We reach the cart and I tuck my right hand into a fold of my dress. Knowing that no one is looking, I fiddle around with the air and I can feel it crackling underneath my fingers. Suddenly, something small and hard finds its way into my palm and I pull out a red rupee.

"Three cups please," I ask nicely as I hold out the rupee for him to see. The man takes his pitcher and carefully pours the liquid into the cups. Jack and Mel each take one as I hand him the money and then picking up my own drink. I take a long sip and feel it's warmth flowing through out my body. Remembering back to that lesson, I recall Nayru and I each testing her drink. I had noticed that it was just like her, fiery but comforting in a strange way. I admired Din for a never-ending flame inside her, like her determination would never, ever die.

"So where are you from, Farore?" Mel suddenly asks me while she goes to take a sip of her cider.

"Oh," I say half heartedly "Just…around."

"Around?" she echoes, the corner of her mouth turning up into a smile. I simply nod and I hear Jack trying to hold back his laughter.

"Where are you from, Jack?" Mel turns her question to him, obviously seeing she couldn't faulter me.

"Uh…across the sea," he mumbles and asks extremely interested in his cup suddenly.

"Where are you from, Jack?" I echo her question in an innocent tone. I now recall myself wanting to ask him that before.

He pauses for a moment then says, "Azmenak."

"Azmenak…" I whisper to myself, desperately trying to remember where that place was. "How long does it take to get there?"

"Two to three days travel by boat," he answers.

"What is it like there?" Mel pipes in and Jack fiddles around with his cup. I can easily tell that he doesn't like talking to her about his homeland and, for some reason, makes me feel pleased.

"So, Mel," I cut in, "where do you live?" It's a pointless question because I already know exactly where she lives - over near the butcher's shop with her father.

"Oh," she says, getting ready to answer the exact same thing I had just thought of, "I live with my father in the space above the butcher's shop. He's a butcher."

"So I've guessed," I smile playfully at her and she giggles back.

"Do you come here often?" she questions me and I shrug.

"I guess so."

"Oh my goddesses, I love your dress!" she squeals and I look down at myself. It's a simple white dress with a thick, light green line on the very bottom and a matching ribbon wraps my waist. The area around my wrist matches the other lines.

"Thank you," I reply, slightly taken aback by her words.

"It's so adorable, who made it for you?"

_Why is she so interested in my dress? Is this what _normal _girls talk about?_

I then notice that Jack hadn't said anything in a while and I revert my eyes to him. He is staring hard at something in the distance and I carefully follow his eyes to a scrawny man sitting on the fountain's edge. He is holding a strange item that seems to be the shape of an overly large peanut but with a rod sticking out of it's side. The back and front of the object are flat and seems to be made of wood, just like the rest of it. A hole is carved into the middle of the front face and shows a hollow chamber. Six delicate strings are tied to the top of the rod and pulled tight towards to bottom. The man fiddles around with the strings in confusion and a few bad notes come out of it. Is that an instrument or was that not supposed to happen?

"What is it?" Mel questions, also seeing the strange object.

"A guitar," Jack answers, his eyes growing wide in amazement.

"Is it an instrument?" I pipe in.

"Yep," Jack starts walking towards the man as if he is hypnotized, "I'll be right back."

Mel and I watch him make his way over to the man with the "guitar" (whatever that is) and the moment he is out of earshot Mel spins around and a huge grin is on her face.

"Wow, I can so tell he likes you a lot!"

I take another sip of my drink, "What do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"What is?" I ask her, she is really getting me confused. Of course Jack likes me, we're friends.

"That he has a crush on you," she nudges me with her elbow and my eyes grow wide.

"Did he tell you that?" My voice shakes a little and I desperately try to control myself.

"Well, of course not but it's so obvious," she replies.

"How is it obvious?"

"Well…" the girl begins, trailing off and glancing at Jack. "Just by the way he looks at you…and how he talks about you too."

My heart starts beating a million miles an hour. Could Jack really have a crush on me or is Mel just being an ecstatic little girl? If he does really like me…in that way, then do I feel the same way? How am I supposed to know? Is it easy to tell or do I have to really think about it?

I revert my eyes back to Jack and see him talking with the man, gesturing to the guitar. He looks extremely happy while the stranger seems so confused. It's a bit of a funny sight.

I start walking over to them and their conversation reaches me as I get closer.

"So this thing _isn't_ broken?" The guy asks suspiciously.

"Yes, I'll show you," Jack puts out his hand and the man carefully and cautiously places it into his open palm. He plops down next to the man and adjusts the guitar in his lap. The curve at the bottom fits against his right leg as if it was made that way and he places his right hand at the top of the rod. I now notice an area where the strings are attached to tubes that go across the top and attaches to small white pegs.

"What is this?" I ask curiously as I sit down next to him.

"It's an amazing instrument found in my homeland. I can't believe Hyrule has one of these!"

"Actually, I have never seen it before in my life. It must have been traded by someone."

"I wonder if it's in tone?" he mumbles to himself and fiddles around with the pegs, turning them back and forth.

"You play?" I question in amazement.

"Yeah, do you?"

"Well, not this 'guitar' but I play different instruments. I love music!" Of course I would, I invented it!

"Then you'll love this," he grins at me and plucks a few bad notes. He concentrates on the strings and the noises they make. If it doesn't sound right he turns the peg that the string is connected to either backwards or foreword.

"Are you left handed?" I ask, noticing his posture.

He nods and smiles at me, "Yep, and proud." Plucking a few more off-key notes, he suddenly puts two of his fingers together and strums down the line of strings. A beautiful, harmonic sound rings out of it and a few people turn around to see him.

Suddenly, his right hand and fingers start moving up and down the neck as his left hand plucks and strums the strings over the hole. My eyes start growing wider as I watch the notes flow out of the instrument and into my ears.

The song is amazing! It's like the ocean's powerful waves pounding against the cold sand. It's dangerous yet beautiful all at once. The chords are played nice and long and the strumming is remarkably accurate. During the middle of the wonderful song, I hear another type of emotion in it. Perhaps it's…longing? Yes, it sounds as if someone is reaching out to me and stretching as far as they can though they just can't seem to reach me.

He plays a triplet (three eighth notes in a row) and then a long, serene sounding chord to finish off the song. He's about to complete it when there is a suddenly loud voice booming throughout the Market Place and everyone turns their attention to the speaker.

The people step out of the way as a large, dark brown horse pushes it's way through the people. Attached to it is an extravagant carriage with red curtains over the window and the golden triforce embedded into the doors. The horse stops a few yards away from us but it is still in perfect view. A man in a fancy red tunic and a silly feathered hat stands so straight up that it looks unhealthy.

I see his mouth about to open but right before he can say a word I learn towards Jack and whisper into his ear, "That was beautiful," then sit back down in my spot. Mel slides down next to me and I pretend not to notice Jack's bright red face.

"The King and his fair maiden wish to make an announcement to all of Hyrule," the fancy man says in a loud voice and quickly opens the door. A beautiful woman gracefully steps out of the carriage, her light blue dress swaying as she moves around. She has bright blue eyes and golden hair tumbling down to her waist. Behind the woman comes a strong, tough looking man – the King of Hyrule. His dark brown eyes light up as he takes his "maiden's" hand and waves to the people. Some of the crowd bows while the others cheer.

"Welcome my friends," he begins but I already start zoning out. It had been my idea to get the two together - I had seen this coming. "I would like to announce the engagement of me and my lovely fiancé."

Another applause erupts but I take this time to study Jack. Does he really like me like that or is Mel just playing around? Do _I _like him like that?

I follow his brilliantly lit green eyes while they scan something above us. Tracking down his gaze, I learn that he is starring at someone on top of a roof. Using my goddess's eyes, I try to get a better view of him.

Three things happen at once. One, I see that the man is holding a notched bow and has the arrow pointed towards the queen. Two, Jack throws himself up and starts running towards the queen. Three, she turns just in time to see the arrow inches from her face.

One moment nothing was there to stop the weapon from meeting its target when, out of the blue, an arm flies through the air in an ark and snaps the shaft of the arrow in two. It collapses onto the floor and Jack stands there proudly. But he isn't done yet. Slipping out one of his knifes, he throws it in perfect form straight toward the assassin. The blade loges right into the man's leg and he tumbles off the roof in pain. Five, angry guards stand below with spears and swords. It isn't long until they are dragging to man away towards the prison cells.

I stare at Jack in bright, awestruck eyes. How in the world could he have done that? He just saved the future queen's _life_! Can he do everything!

A murmur ripples through the crowd and everyone is starring at Jack, including the monarchies. He pretends not to notice and starts walking over to me like nothing had happened. I stand up to greet him when the Princess's (future queen's) hand grabs Jack's arm. He looks over his shoulder into her fascinated eyes.

"Yes your majesty?" he says politely, slightly uncomfortable. I walk my way over to them and stand next to Jack, hoping that my presence might ease his nerves.

"You saved my life," she muses and still in complete shock.

"Yes," he answers simply, waiting for her to go on.

"I must thank you," she starts, "What is your name young one?"

"Jack," he replies, shifting his weight between both feet and giving a small smile.

"What is your last name?"

"Don't have one," he says instantly, his grin vanishing. _That's strange_, I think to myself, _why won't he give out his last name…whatever that is._

"Well, Jack," she begins smiling at him. "Do you have a job?"

"No, your majesty."

"Do you want one?"

"Yes, your majesty."

The Princess and the King pass a glance with each other and an agreement shines in their eyes.

"Would you want to have a job at the castle as a 'Hylian Spy'?" The King asks him, hope showing in his voice.

"Excuse me?" he questions back, really confused but intrigued all the same.

"It's a league of highly trained members that live in the castle that protect and go on special missions for the King and Queen," I answer and instantly regret it. It was as if it had just blurted out from my mouth and I couldn't hold it back. I feel their eyes on me but I pretend not to notice. Why had I done that? Was I trying to impress the monarchies or Jack? Maybe I was just being rude? Who knows…

"And who are you?" The royalties ask in unison.

"Oh, my name is Farore, your majesties," I reply in an innocent voice and smile back at them politely.

"Are you a friend of Jack's?" the Princess asks, gesturing to him with her hand. I nod and her smile widens. "You two can come with us and I'll show you around the palace. When we're done, you can decide if you want the job, is that all right?"

"Sounds good to me," Jack gives a brisk nod then looks at me, "how about you?"

"Sure, why not?" I shrug and smile at all of them. At least Jack finally has a job, and some place safe to live to top it all off.

"Just follow us then," she gestures towards the carriage and starts walking to it with her fiancé at her side

Jack and I start following after them when he suddenly remembers Mel. Spinning around, he goes to say something but Mel beats him there. "You two have fun, I have to go back to my father anyways. See you around!" She cries out happily, waving towards us and we wave back.

Jack and I then turn back around and slip into the carriage across from the royal couple. I absentmindedly trace patterns in the red velvet cushions as the Princess and the King talk to Jack about living conditions and his job.

"You can either get no pay but live in a room, get food, and free clothing _or_ you can get paid but you'll have to live in the market place," she explains.

"I think I'll take the first option," Jack answers and can't help but smile at his good fortune.

"Being a Hylian Spy is a lot of work," the King empathizes, probably making sure that Jack doesn't take this too lightly. "You need to have to hunt after dangerous men, such as assassins and robbers, and then track down enemy spies. You might also have to go on missions to enemy territories and spy on them to see what they're up too. In the mean time, you'll be taking up studies with a professor and be taught the arts of spying by a fighting master. If you are able to stay in the trade for a year, then you'll learn the art of Sheika."

When the King doesn't continue, Jack finally nods and shoots me a glance. I smile encouragingly at him and the corners of his mouth twitch up but I can see the thanks in his eyes.

As I realize that the conversation had ended, I turn my attention to the buildings slowly passing by outside. I don't normally go in carriages, and when I do, they are always new lives waving and cheering outside. I didn't mean for it to sound like I wanted attention, but I'm enjoying being able to watch the world going by as I ride on the rickety carriage towards the grand, Hyrule palace.

I think back onto the song that Jack had played. It was so beautiful and amazing, I wish he could've kept the guitar, or at lest finished the song. Stupid announcer, I didn't even get to tell him how surprised and amazed I was!

_Author's Note:_

_A few things I'd like to mention: in the beginning, Nayru was making pancakes but the people down in Hyrule haven't invented that yet, just to be clear. Also, Farore has never seen a guitar because they aren't made in Hyrule. Jack, however, loves it and had played it back in Azmenak (home land) where it is quite popular. _

_I hope this chapter wasn't too boring for you, though I tried to make it more eventful. At first it was going to be two chapters, but I had to cut it in two or else it might be too long for my liking._

_I also appreciate every comment and favorite that you guys leave! I kindly ask you to leave a comment telling me what you liked and didn't like so I know what you are all hoping to find in my story. That would really help me with my writing and I'd be very grateful! Don't be afraid to scream and yell at me, as long as you get a point across, lol. Thank you!_

_Oh, I'm still looking for a BETA reader (as said in chapter seven) so if you are interested or know someone who might be looking for a story to beta read, then be sure to look at the details and let me know! Thank you again!_

_Wave_


	10. Chapter 9 Getting Settled

Chapter Nine – Getting Settled

"You would get the best training by the finest teachers," the Queen continues to explain to Jack as we walk away from the barracks. She had been giving us a tour of the castle while telling us about how Jack would run his life. The king had to leave us to do some important work before so I haven't seen him since.

But wow! The castle is magnificent! The ceilings are tall and the stonewalls are nice and smooth. The torches' light dances along the halls as we walk through them. Sunlight shines from the window and people casually walk this way and that. I know I've seen all of this before (since I had helped create the beautiful palace) but seeing it in person is truly amazing.

Jack, however, seems unfazed as the Queen continues to explain the structure of the building and his possible job. I hear someone coming from behind us and I turn around to see a white haired woman striding confidently towards us. Her red eyes pierce each one of us while Jack and the Queen also face the woman. She halts in front of us and I relax, now realizing how it is. It's hard to miss Impa with her Sheikah markings and her clothing – well, _lack_ of clothing seems more like it.

"Ah," the Queen begins, smiling at the mysterious woman, "This is Impa, my guardian." Impa bows her head in greeting and then flicks her gaze between Jack and I. Jack tries to hold his nerves but it isn't hard for me to see he's uneasy of this woman.

"Hello, Impa," I smile warmly at her and bow my head to her in greeting. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," she answers, "Now who might you two be?"

"Please relax, Impa," the Queen smiles at her but she still remains stiff, "these are our guests, they mean no harm."

"I understand, but why are they here if you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all," she calmly shakes her head, "This young man – Jack - saved my life from another assassin. I am hoping that he will want to join the trade of a Hylian Spy."

Impa nods her head and I can tell she is holding back many questions. I remember Din and I creating the Sheikah many years ago. Impa is one of the best among her people and I know everything about her, as creepy as they may sound. She is wise enough to not question the Queen's decision though she is very troubled by the news of another assassin.

"And who might you be?" Impa questions me, keeping her face emotionless. She does this whenever she wants to hide any kind of emotion. I wonder what that could be…

"I'm…Farore," I answer, silently wishing I had lied to the Queen before about my name. I already told her my true identity so I'm just going to have to deal with Impa's questioning stare.

"Like the goddess?" She asks, attempting to make a small conversation.

"Yes, something like that."

"Well, I'll let you get back to your tour," she says reluctantly and walks back the way she had came.

The Queen watches her saunter away before she reverts her attention back to us.

"So, Jack," she begins lightly, "tell me a bit about yourself."

"Um…" he starts awkwardly "like what?"

"Oh, what about your family? What will they think of all of…_this_?"

"I don't have a family," he replies instantly in a hollow, emotionless tone. I can tell that he really doesn't like talking about them to just anybody. I am also able to see that I won't be in the conversation much; it'll probably be best for me to just listen and pick up on any body language. This way, I'll be able to practice my skills and find out what they mean…plus I just want something exciting to do.

"Oh, I'm very sorry," The Queen awkwardly says, slightly taken aback. "What about where you are from?"

Jack hesitates for a moment and I can tell he is pondering something. A moment later he answers in a nervous tone, "Azmenak."

"Azmenak," she repeats, silently musing it over in her mind. After a second of contemplating this, she quickly changes the subject, "Whom are you staying with then?"

"By myself in an inn," he says in a more collective voice.

"How much do you know of fighting?"

Jack shrugs his shoulders, "A fair amount. I've been training for eight years."

"Well," the Queen clasps her hands together and smiles, seeming pleased by the interview. "I think you'll enjoy it very much here and we'd be happy to have you."

"Thank you, your highness," Jack nods to her and grins, his green eyes shining in a way that it makes my heart jump.

"So you wish to take up the job?" She asks eagerly, her blue eyes wide.

"Yes, your majesty. It would be an honor."

"Oh good," she exclaims and starts quickly walking down the corridor. Jack and I hurriedly catch up with her and Jack shoots me a happy, pleased look. I give an encouraging smile back at him and his eyes brighten even more.

We continue to walk down the winding corridors and I quietly marvel at the architecture. The columns have embedded stone vines and portraits of famous past rulers and people hanging on the walls. Extravagant rugs flow throughout the castle like a never-ending river. I'm vaguely aware of the Queen's and Jack's conversation and I only half listen to it.

"You would have Master Opal as your teacher for fighting and physical abilities. He will teach you the art of stealth and how to use more exotic items. Not to mention build up some endurance and body building."

_Like he needs to get more muscle, _I joke in my head, reflecting back on his bare chest again. I mentally slap myself. _Control yourself Farore! You've been acting so weird lately!_

"You will receive studies once a week – and sometimes more - from Professor Ress," she carries on explaining, "he will teach you history, geography, map making, and a few brush ups on reading and writing."

"Sounds like very good education," I chime in, smiling at the two of them.

"Very," the Queen agrees with me, reflecting my content expression. I now notice that we have stopped in front of a wooden door in a long corridor on the third floor. The hallway is covered in a sweeping red carpet, identical to many others amongst the castle. "This will be where you will sleep," the Queen explains and opens up the door. We peak inside the lonesome room and take it all in. It's a small room but bigger than the one at the hotel. At the far side of the room in the wooden wall is a large window. Sunlight pours through it and dances across the timber floor and barely touches the foot of the bed. Its light blue sheets are smooth and the feather pillow is nice and fluffy. The head of the bed is pressed up against the right wall and a small, simple nightstand is on the left side of it. Across from the bed, a medium sized dresser is against the wall and next to it is a dark brown, fairly nice desk. Small shelves are resting at the back of the table and a matching chair is tucked into it. Despite the furniture, the room is rather empty. There isn't any clothes or books, just the simple basic items.

"I know it isn't much but I do hope you like it," the Queen observes casually, noticing the barren state of the room.

"Don't worry, your highness," Jack says politely and blissfully, "It's perfectly fine, thank you."

"Well, I'll send up some clothes while you head back to the inn and retrieve your things. Once you've returned, be sure to seek me out so we can talk privately," she shoots me a small glance and I know that doesn't include me.

"Yes, your highness."

"I shall see you later then," she smiles and starts to walk away. "Good-bye Farore and Jack!"

"Good-bye, your majesty," I wave back to her and watch her stroll down the hall and around the corner.

"Thanks for coming with me today," Jack smiles warmly at me and I feel my face heat up. Jeez, Jack is really affecting me lately. I wonder why…

"Don't worry," I smile back at him, "it was fun to see the castle."

"It is a nice place," he muses, looking around the area.

"I'll be happy to help you take your stuff back here," I remark, silently hoping he'll say yes so I can spend more time with him.

"Really? That would be great, thanks, Farore!" His grin widens and I beam right back at him.

We leave the room and begin to walk back down the corridor. I know exactly which way to go but I have to pretend that I'm completely lost as he is.

"Maybe we should go down these stairs until we reach the first floor," Jack suggests, motioning towards the stairs.

I give a little giggle, "Haven't we already gone down them?"

"Are you sure? They all look the same to me."

"Well, it's worth a shot," I smile at him and he grins back. We begin to walk down the stone steps together with the sound of each footfall echoing through the passage.

"Can't believe I'm living in a castle now," Jack mumbles to himself and runs a hand over the smooth wall.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to find your way about soon enough," I smirk at him but he remains solemn.

"I really hope I don't disappoint anyone," he says softly again, gazing down the long staircase.

"Hey," I say as I stand in front of him, forcing him to a stop. "You'll do just fine, great actually. You're here because the Queen wants you to be, don't worry about it."

"But…" he begins, his hands waving around randomly as he looks about the place "It's a little much. I'm going to be a _spy_, Farore. What if I'm no good at spying?"

"You will be amazing at spying!" I exclaim and catch his eye. I make sure he keeps staring into mine. Perhaps he'll be able to see the truth behind them. He really shouldn't be worried; it's just his nerves. Surely he'll do just fine. "You already obtain phenomenal fighting skill and experience, plus you are extremely stealthy-,"

"I'm stealthy?" He questions and raises an eyebrow.

"Of course, you pick pocketed right?" I calm my tone a bit, trying not to sound offensive. Jack gives a small, pouting expression and nods. A warm, friendly smile spreads its way onto my face and I force Jack to look into my shining eyes. "Then that already gives you experience in being unseen and quiet. Trust me, Jack, you'll do perfectly fine."

His own kind smile goes across his face as he shakes his head back and forth, "Sorry, I'm just letting the nerves get to me."

"Don't worry, I understand," I continue to smile and I secretly notice a strange look flash in his green orbs. _Was it affection or just my imagination? Perhaps it was something else? That whole "crush" thing with Mel has really got me worked up._

I turn around and we go back to walking down the stairs. It takes us another twenty minutes to finally find our way outside and into the light. We stroll down the dirt path towards the Market Place and I notice the guards staring at me from under their helmets. I know we goddesses have amazing beauty but it's a little bothersome when they don't take their eyes off of me. Thank goodness Jack is with me.

"There really isn't much to take, I could've done it myself," Jack rubs the back of his neck in a nervous gesture as we enter into the room. I don't if he's embarrassed about barely having anything or the fact that we're back in the room where he spilled out his secrets two nights before.

"That's OK, I've got nothing better to do," I smirk at him and he grins back.

"Besides, I couldn't have gotten out of the castle without you."

"Then you couldn't have done it yourself," I joke and give him a playful slap on the back and his face turns a little bit darker shade of red. I sure hope he isn't coming down with something…

Jack hides his reddened face as he walks towards the dresser with his bag open for clothes. I go to the nightstand and collect his book on the Hylian Legends and his handy-dandy knife.

I take a moment to rifle through the pages until I land on the spot with the heading "_Farore – Goddess of Courage_."

I look over my shoulder and see that Jack's completely caught up in stuffing the clothes into his bag. I revert my eyes back to the page and start reading:

_"Farore is the goddess of courage and the creator of life. This would include all plants, people, and animals. She is said to have lovely green hair and brilliant blue eyes like the deepest skies._

_Farore has created many things. The most important ones are the makings of life, music, healing, and water and food. She has also made many more and loves each and everyone of them-,"_

"Interested?" Jack's voice sounds loud in my ear and I give a startled yelp. He just laughs and I carefully place the book down, showing no intention of what I was reading. Whoever the author was, was surprisingly accurate.

I don't like that.

"Sorry to scare you," he grins at me and I just laugh, hiding my emotions well.

"I told you that you were sneaky."

He beams back at me and says cheerfully, "Well then, thank you."

"So is that it?" I ask, changing the subject and eyeing the full bag at his side.

"Almost, I've just got to get my book and that last knife," he reaches for the items and I silently wish I could somehow destroy that book, burn it and bury it so he'd never read the part about me.

"Shall we start heading back?" Jack smiles and takes a step towards the door as he waits for my answer.

"I'd like to but you have that private meeting with the Queen." I reluctantly say and his smile falls into a frown.

"Oh…right," he mumbles.

"Besides, I should be heading back home," I answer quickly, eager that this will somehow brighten his spirits but it just makes them worse.

"Will I see you again?" He asks and snatches my hand from me. My body goes rigid as I stare into his sad, emerald eyes and my heart starts beating faster and faster. His hand continues to hold mine after a full minute and I realize that he's still waiting for an answer.

I force myself to leave my frozen state and make a kind smile spread across my face. "If they don't kill me first then you can count on it."

A moment later and Jack's own grin goes across his face as he remembers that they're the same exact words I said before I rushed away to my sisters.

"Then I'll see you later," he finally says, withdrawing from my hand and I feel all the warmth leave it.

"Yes, I'll see you later," he's about to say something but I beat him to the bunch. Taking a step back, I will the magic to rise within me and I feel the pull of the sacred realm grab me. Sparkles rise around me and Jack's eyes start growing wider and wider as her watches. I simply smile as the last bit of me is taken away and warped right outside my bedroom door.

I take a moment for the floating crystals to come back to me before I dare move a muscle. When everything is as it should be I release a sad sigh. I didn't want to leave Jack, or the comfort of my hand in his, but I can't be with him all of the time. It's best that he gets some time to clear his head anyways; I'll probably be just a distraction.

_But wow! How much I wish to tell him my secret, yet how much I wish that he could never ever find out. If I was to tell him he might be mad at me for lying, or worse, simply use me for his own needs. But I could never imagine Jack ever being that cold hearted to me…to anyone._

I let out another sigh as I push open my bedroom door, still contemplating on the bouncing thoughts inside of me. I look up and my body instantly freezes, my eyes giant orbs and my mouth hanging open.

Leaning against my messy table is a lean, tan, and beautiful lady. Her crimson eyes stare me down, and a small, smug smile graces her lips. Her long, scarlet hair falls down her back some of it touches the table.

"D-Din…" I mumble, completely taken aback. _How am I supposed to explain myself! She's going to completely kill me! Oh dear Deus, what am I ever going to do!_

"How's it going sis?" Din asks, her smug expression still on her face.

"F-f-fine," I stammer as my stomach twists in my stomach.

"I went looking for you two hours ago, where have you been?" She straightens up in a cool, calm gaze. My body goes rigid again and I desperately try to think of anything to say. For some reason, I find myself not wanting to totally lie to Din. It's something about her…as if she isn't really trying to rat me out. What in the world is she up to?"

"Around," I finally answer, slightly playing it safe.

"With anyone?" she casually questions me, fiddling with a page of an open book on the table.

_Oh no, what do I say? Obviously not Jack, I can't let myself completely tell her everything! Is she using some kind of spell or am I detecting that she doesn't honestly care? Let's see what happens…_

"A friend," I answer, barely able to keep my voice from shaking.

"That's nice," she nods her head and looks down at the book. "As long as your happy, I think you should stay with your friend. He…or she will be of great company to you."

_WHAT! _I Scream in my mind as I stare at Din with the biggest blue eyes in the world. _How does she – is she approving – Jack – Din…huh?_

"I-I…" I stammer, searching for the words but coming to none.

"Just be careful, OK sis?" Din says in a kind, motherly tone as she walks past me and ruffles my hair a bit. "See you around."

I hear the door close behind me but I still can't move, not even utter a word. My mouth continues to hang open as I stare at where Farore had been when I first entered the room. Does she know everything or not? It seems like she doesn't know the whole story but defiantly that I'm with somebody. Oh wow…

_Oh wow._

_Author's Note_

_So I was finally able to get the strength to write this after everything that has happened. For those that don't know what has occurred in my life then I'll briefly tell you. I've been depressed lately because a teacher at my school recently died and my brother now has mono. I don't really want to get into it but I'm slowly back on the mend from this chaos._

_So back to the story…_

_OK, so this chapter is probably the worst one I've ever written. It's awkward and stiff; the transitions are terrible and is all together a completely thing of poo. Ugh, wish I could've done better, sorry that it stinks._

_It's not much of an exciting chapter but I'm not feeling adventurous right now. Though do not worry too much, a very exciting chapter will be coming up soon! (after the next one that is) I've got it all planned out and once we reach that point, its all much more entertaining! I certainly can't wait for it._

_Yep, Din does seem to know something, but what? Only one way to find out ;-)_


	11. Chapter 10 Surprises

Chapter Ten – Surprises

The sunlight shines down and strokes everything in view. The water reflects its golden light and the grass tickles me softly as I lie on my back in the garden. My blue eyes stare up into the sunny sky, its golden rays falling down upon the sacred realm.

But I hate this. I'm back right where I started.

Sitting. Bored. Nothing. To. Do.

Pushing myself off of the ground, I slouch over and cup my face in my hands – leaning my elbows on my knees for support. Nayru is gone working on her dumb "electricity" thing and Din is back to working on something with fire.

Why can't _I_ have some project to work on! Why is it that _I _am always so bored!

_Probably that courage thing, it makes me thirst for adventure and excitement. Ugh…right now, I'm really annoyed by that. _I think to myself as I twirl a blade of grass around my finger, letting out a sigh as I do so.

Right now, I would probably have been with Jack but he's having his first lessons today, I can't disturb him. Luckily, he'll be done by two so then I can stop by.

_But what can I do _now! _Is there nothing for me to make?_

I release another annoyed sigh and fall back on the ground. The dirt makes a little _puff_ sound as my body bends the grass underneath me. A moment later and I'm annoyed by the silence. It's far to quiet to my liking, and I begin to whistle a happy little tone. It's very common amongst the Korkiri and is bright and lively.

_Perhaps I can make something with music, I haven't done that in a while. I could make something for Jack…yes! That would repay him very well! And I know just what to do…_

I throw myself off the ground and start quickly walking back inside the palace. I'm now excited and I can't help but smile at my idea, it'll really make Jack happy.

I walk through the many complex corridors of the building, aiming for one specific spot in mind. After a few minutes, I finally reach my destination.

I step gracefully into the gigantic rooms, noticing the sunlight streaming from the overly sized window at the other side. Tall, huge brown shelves stretch from the floor to the ceiling from left to right. Different color and sizes of books rests neatly inside each shelve. I begin to walk across the dark red carpet, passing the many endless isles of books and scrolls. I easily make my way through the small tables stationed between the two sides of the room and eventually reach the main, circular desk in the center of it all.

I walk up to it and put out my hands so they hover over the tabletop. Not a few seconds pass before a transparent board forms under my slender fingers. They move across the keyboard and hit certain letters. Above my hands and at my eye level is the word itself.

And I begin to work.

His bright green eyes scan the trees lining the property. The sun barely breaks through the clouds and leaves continue to twist and tumble their way down to Earth. A chilling wind blows; announcing the coming of winter, and the young man brings his cloak tighter around him.

I'm now thankful for my own cloak as I peer out of the trees, being sure to make myself invisible to the human eye. I don't want a guard to get all worked up over nothing.

As he continues to look around him, I take away my spell but still hide in the trees. I know he'll notice me eventually; I just have to bring attention to myself.

Another wind blows and I take a pile of leaves and throw them into the air. They spill into the field and Jack's eyes instantly snap to me. I smile and wave to him and his hard face lightens up into a smile. His long legs take him to me and into the shelter of the woods.

"Hey, Jack," I chirp.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asks happily, still smiling.

"To see you of course!"

He gives a little chuckle. "Well thank you, but how'd you get in here? The guards are patrolling the gate and the cliffs make impossible to enter through the woods-,"

"Here's a heads up," I cut him off, continuing to grin, "the guards aren't the greatest in the world."

Jack starts laughing again and I quickly join him. "So what are you doing out here anyways?" I finally question.

"Just getting to know the area…and I like walking."

"Well…" I begin, a little awkward feeling "can I walk with you?"

He simply smiles and stares into my hopeful eyes. "I don't see why not, lets go."

We start walking through the trees, stepping carefully over rocks and ditches. The leaves crinkle and crunch under each footstep we make. The air is crisp and chilly, but I don't mind. It feels nice compared to the perfect life of the sacred realm where nothing is ever too hot or too cold. And the falling golden and red leaves is extremely pretty, even if most of the trees are almost completely bare now.

"So how was your first day," I finally ask, eyeing Jack as he hops off of a rock and lands next to me.

"It was fine, tiring I guess," He jokes and we both grin at each other.

"How is everything, I want to hear all about it!" I can't help but be enthusiastic, I'm terribly curious.

"Well, my main teacher is Master Opal. He teaches me fighting and all of that. He is pretty stern and tough but seems to be impressed with my knowledge already. I think I'm going to like him.

"Professor Ress is my studies teacher," he continues "We went over the basics today and he likes the fact that I know some bit of reading and writing, though he isn't pleased with my sloppy script," Jack jokes and smiles at the thought, "He gets pretty enthusiastic over books and new knowledge so he's actually entertaining in a way."

I give a little giggle, "That all sounds really good."

"I think I'll like it here, even if it is going to be tiring."

"And you'll be busy and go on dangerous missions," I comment in a bit of an unhappy tone. Well excuse me for being worried!

"Yeah…" He mumbles to himself and stares at the dead leaves lying on the ground. "But it can't be that bad…"

A silence stretches afterward as we continue to walk through the woods. Up ahead I can see our destination coming closer and closer. It isn't long before we're trudging over bracken and twisting between branches. Dead leaves kick up as we push our way through the bushes and suddenly we're out in the clear.

Jack and I freeze to take it all in – to take in the beauty.

We're standing on top of a giant hill, its green grass swaying like seaweed in the breeze. Tall, proud trees form a large circle around our area and stretch up to the sky as if they're trying to reach the sacred realm. But one of the best things is the view we get from this hilltop. Down below we stare at the now small and distant castle. The sun beats down and reflects off of its smooth walls and glass windows. This is one of my favorite places, and now it's even better that I get to stand on it like an explorer on new found land.

"Wow," Jack mouths, his bright green eyes taking it all in.

"Yeah," I whisper along with him, "isn't it beautiful…" I suddenly get the urge to just fall down into its rippling warmth. This is my creation, my paradise.

I swiftly fall backwards and land in the long grass. It doesn't hurt at all, me being a goddess and all.

Now I look up into the sky with wondrous glory. White, puffy clouds slowly crawl there way across the placid blue.

The next thing I know I'm starring into shinning green eyes as Jack leans over me, an amused look on his face. The sun outlines his face like a halo and my heart starts dancing around in my chest. I can't help but grin up at him, he just makes me happy for some reason, and I don't care why.

"Having fun?" He jokes and I give a little giggle.

"I guess you can say that," I answer, smiling sheepishly.

Jack only continues to grin and stares at me as if mesmerized by some kind of beauty. I wonder what I look like to him now - is the sun shining on my face like his or do I just look like one average Joe? I sure hope it's the first one…

He suddenly rolls off to the side and I push myself up so I'm sitting beside him. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. It's then when I remember what I was going to give to Jack. I bring my right hand to my side and call upon the item. I feel the air crackling around my dancing fingers and the next thing I know there is something smooth and solid in my grasp.

"I got you a present," I grin and I instantly see the confusion in his eyes.

"You got me –," But I don't let him finish because I pull the gift away from the ground and into view. His green eyes go wide and I can't help but giggle. He sure is easy to surprise sometimes.

"Wh-where did you get this?" He gasps, still starring in utter amazement.

"I made it," I simply shrug as I continue to smile at his funny expression.

"You made _this_?" he exclaims, "Wow, you can do anything!"

I let out a laugh and hand him the gift, "try it out, see if it works."

Jack takes it and positions it on his knee just like yesterday. The guitar looks very similar to the other one though this one is cleaner, shinier, and indestructible. Plus it has an embedded vine going up the back of the neck and it's already in perfect tone.

Jack puts his fingers together like before and runs it down the strings. The most harmonic note comes out and fills my ears. A huge grin crawls its way across his face and then, the next thing I know, he suddenly wraps his arms around me and gives me a tight hug.

I go rigid in his strong arms, completely taken aback by this sudden gesture. I feel my face go bright red and my heart pounds so hard against my chest he must be able to hear it.

What if Mel was right? What if he does have a crush on me? If that's so, then do I have a crush on him too?

Yet now it just feels good to have him so close to me and be resting in his arms. But to my utter disappointment, the hug doesn't last long and he pulls back. His face is vivid red and now he is the one smiling sheepishly,

"T-thanks," he stammers and rubs the back of his neck.

"No problem," I murmur and I use one of my special goddess gift called "control." Din, Nayru, and I all have our own specialties – mine is emotions. Now and days, controlling my feelings sure is being useful.

"Uh, Farore," Jack begins as he sits back down next to me.

"Yeah?" I ask and I can't help but wonder what is making him so nervous.

"Well," he begins while he stares at the ground, avoiding me eyes, "I was actually talking to the queen earlier today and she was telling me about how there is this ball tomorrow night…"

His gaze flicks to me and I know he's waiting for me to say something but what am I supposed to say? What does this ball have to do with anything?

When he finally realizes that I'm not going to say something he is forced to go on. "It's for the engagement of the monarchies and everyone will be going. She told me that it would be best to have a d-date…well, someone to accompany me…who was a girl…lady friend…uh…"

His strange, round ears grow pink and he makes himself look me in the eyes. His green orbs are nervous and his fingers twiddle with the grass. While I stare at his jumpy figure I realize what he's hinting at. Is he trying to ask me out to this ball? Like a…date?

"Come on, Jack," I say playfully with a huge grin. "It can't be that hard to ask me."

He gives a little laugh, slightly nervous and slightly natural, and then tries one more time in a calmer, less shaky tone. "Farore, would you like to go with me to the ball tomorrow night."

I give a big smile as my heart rate speeds up _again_. I knew it! He was asking me to a ball! Oh wait…I'm going to ball…whoa.

"Yes, I'd love to go with you."

"Really?" He gasps, his nervous grin fading into a happy one.

"Yep, just tell me the time and I'll be there."

"Great! It starts at six thirty!" He pushes himself up and reaches down and offers me a hand. I take it and he helps pull me up with him.

"Speaking of time," I say, noticing the sky. "It sure is getting late." Jack and I both look up into the sky. It now looks a lot like the world in the sacred realm with the sun setting in the horizon and the orange and yellow colors blended together. The clouds get this pink glow and soft, red streaks mix with the other colors.

"Wow," I gasp, "It's beautiful." The light outlines the castle and everything from the stonewalls to the flapping flags seem to glow with a brilliant golden radiance.

"It is," Jack murmurs from next to me, "But that means I have to go now, it might take a while to get back."

I give a reluctant nod and recall Din telling me she would come back to the palace at this time of day. She normally never tells me that sort of stuff…until last night.

"Yeah, I should be heading home too. I don't want my sisters freaking out."

Jack nods too and then goes to take a step before he remembers something.

"Wait," he quickly says "is there anyway of contacting you?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, if I wanted to send you a letter or something."

"Oh," I answer and my mind starts going frantic. I could tell him I don't get mail at all but yet…I sort of would like to receive some letters from him. It would be nice. "Well, do to the fact that I've been running around in secret," I begin, joking around slightly "if you ever need to leave some kind of note or letter, just slip it under a rock that is sitting right against the Temple of Time."

Jack raises and eyebrow and looks very puzzled, "And you'll find that?"

"Trust me," I give him a little wink right before I vanish in front of his eyes.

Hey, I was bound to do that sometime!

_Author's Note_

_I hope this one is much better than the last one, that one was just pure s***. (Yep, keeping it PG ^_^ plus I don't swear)_

_Now that this ball is coming up things are definitely going to get interesting ;-) _

_Please review!_

_Thanks!_

_~Wave~_


	12. Chapter 11 Wanting

_Thanks for the reviews!_

- - - -

Given every moment I had

Still I can never seem to keep up with you

You're done with one mile and onto another one thousand

Still I can never seem to keep up with you

I know you'll be better off without me when I'm gone

You know you're, your beautiful

You're beautiful

Shine on

You were made to

Shine on

And you know I love you

And even if we can or can't be friends

I'll be with you until the very end

So shine on, you want me to

"_Shine On" by Ryan Cabrera_

Chapter Eleven – Wanting

_White or green…the ultimate question._

And right now that's all I can think about – what color should my dress be? Anything besides those two colors would look strange with my bright green hair, so that eliminates practically everything else.

And then I remember the larger problem: sneaking out without my sisters noticing. I could just say that I'm staying up late working on my own project and that they shouldn't disturb me, but that is still rather risky. Is there any solution to this?

"Well if it's so hard to decide between two colors then just put them together," A familiar, joking tone comes from behind me, cutting me away from my daze and I feel my body freeze. It can't be…

"Well Din, I do have a perfect dress in mind for her," says another familiar voice in a similar tone, both with a hint of deviousness underneath them.

"And that would be…?" The other voice trails off and I feel their stares burning into my back. I slowly turn around while my heart starts beating faster and faster and my face gets hot and red. What will happen to me now? How did they even find out? Oh-no…

Instead yelling or killing me, Nayru and Din stroll towards me with smug looks on their faces. I watch in pure confusion and amazement as Nayru strides into my closet and Din starts walking around me in a circle, scanning me up and down for some strange reason.

"What are you – how come – huh?" I stammer out and force Din to look into my eyes. Her crimson orbs are bright and lively and a big smirk is on her face.

"Well, Farore," she begins in a playful tone "I don't know why you are looking for dresses, but we figured it would be in our best interest to help you out." Din winks at me and I can only stare at her in more confusion. Nayru then steps out of my closet and presents me with a lovely dark green dress.

"Put this on, it will go very well with your hair and it is not too bright."

My throat feels like it's completely enclosed, I can't even speak. What in the world is going on here?

"Come on, put it on," Din urges me and gently pushes me towards the dress.

"O-o-o-ok," I stammer again and cautiously reach for the attire. The moment my hand clasps its gentle fabric, Nayru lets go and I'm required to change into it.

The dress is actually very nice. It's sleeveless and holds tightly around my torso but from my waist and down it becomes loose and flows down to the floor. Leave it to Nayru to find the perfect dress out of a thousand…literally.

"Yep, that's very nice," Din comments approvingly as she spins me around. I can only let them remark on my dress as I'm totally lost.

"What is going on!" I practically shriek unexpectedly and force my sisters to freeze in their tracks. I glare at each of them and make sure they look me back in the eyes.

Nayru, however, seems to be unfazed. "Now, Farore," she says in a gentle yet joking tone "Right now Din and I are only trying to help our little sister get ready for wherever she is going. You should really accept this with open arms since we aren't here to kill you, that would be the _smart_ thing to do."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Din roll her eyes at the last comment. Is Nayru right? Should I just allow them to do whatever they want and be grateful for…whatever they may be doing? Nayru is smart (obviously) so I guess it would be all right…

"Now let us get the hair," Din says, completely ignoring my last comment.

"Here," Nayru motions to a chair in front of a mirror. "Sit down so we can do your hair."

I allow myself to fall for their trap and I carefully weave my way towards the chair, easily getting used to the dress on me. I swiftly sit down into it and they instantly set to work.

"No ponytails or buns," Nayru says to Din as they brush out my hair. "You never do that with sleeveless dresses."

"Yes, but don't do curls, I like Farore's hair straight," Din adds in and I see Nayru nod in the mirror. It's so strange to see the two agreeing with each other, especially this easily. It's even weirder with the fact that I feel like a pampered little goddess as they brush my hair and experiment with a bunch of positions.

"How about a clip in the back," Nayru suggests and she takes a few strands of my hair to show Din her idea.

"But isn't that too much of a ponytail?" She questions as she examines her sister's idea.

"Not if we only take a few strands of hair and hold it back with a silver clip and let the rest be normal."

"Like a French braid but without the braid?" Din jokes as Nayru snickers at her.

"That's one way to put it," she murmurs and Din and I start laughing.

"Do you like that idea, Farore?" Din asks me as she pulls a few loose strands of hair out of my eyes.

"Sounds good to me," I grin at her blissfully. I know that I can trust my sisters when it comes to looks, especially since we invented the fashion years ago.

"But which clip should we use…?" Din trails off as she stares at my hair, pondering this to herself.

"I have the perfect one!" Nayru squeals and she summons upon a silver hairclip out of thin air. She shoves it in front of my face and makes sure I look at it. It's actually quite beautiful, despite the fact that I've seen the shape many times before. The clip is in the form of the bird that is embedded onto many of the knights' shields. Each angle and curve is constructed brilliantly and it is as smooth as glass.

I give a small nod and Nayru sets back to her work. They both toil together as Din brushes back the top of my head and Nayru attaches the clip easily. They then adjust my loose strands of hair so it outlines my face nicely. Din takes some of my green locks and puts it in front of me while Nayru makes sure that the back of my head is perfectly straight.

"Excellent, now you are perfect!" Nayru squeals and clasps her hands together.

"You should get going now, it's six twenty five already," Din comments, looking at the sun up in the sky.

"Just be careful," Nayru comments as I carefully stand up. "Don't talk to strangers!"

"Nayru," I begin playfully, "You're _supposed _to talk to strangers."

"Just be careful," Din repeats gently and pats my head.

"I will," I chirp as I start the warping process. The golden sparkles begin to drift around my body like falling leaves. "Thanks for everything! See you later!"

"Bye, Farore!" they say in unison as they wave at my disappearing body.

My vision fades and so does my sensation of the world around me. It takes me a moment to finally feel the Earth under my comfortable shoes and the twilight air growing cold and crisp. My vision comes zooming back to me and I realize that I'm standing under the shadow of a tree in front of Hyrule Castle.

The torches' light dances across its stonewalls with the starry sky reflecting on the calm moat. Two guards clad in fancy armor are stationed next to the immense doorway. The light from inside reflects off of their swords and armor as I make my way towards them. They don't move a muscle as I pass through the doorway, but I do see them starring at me with wide eyes at the last minute.

The moment I step inside I run into a short, bulky man. He adjusts his glasses and stares up at me in completely awe. Before I can even apologize he speaks up in a funny voice,

"Aw, don't you look just faaaaaabulous!" he squeals, making his last word especially long. "Quick, quick, follow me! Don't gawk, sweetie, hurry!" The tiny man tugs at my hand and practically drags me down the hall and continues to talk rapidly as he does so.

"All of the woman walk down the main steps slowly and elegantly to their dates. The Queen will go first and you'll just go when the line permits you, understand?"

"Uh…what?" Is the only thing I manage to huff as he continues to guide me through a few more twists and turns. We take a sudden left and I almost run into another one of the woman. The hallway is extremely crowded with ladies dressed in blues, reds, greens, whites, and millions more. They all begin to rush this way and that as butlers organize them into long line. The small man suddenly pushes me between two of the woman and I have to use my goddess magic to make sure I don't knock over anyone.

The door at the end of the hallway suddenly flies open and everyone around me instantly freezes. Slow, beautiful music from cellos and violas reach my ears and the Queen takes her first step down the stairs. A loud applause instantly erupts from the crowd and some even start cheering. From this point of view, I can't really see what her facial expression is like but I can feel it. She's smiling now – nice and sweet. I can easily see her nod her head graciously to a few people. It takes her a few more slow seconds before she finally reaches the end of the stairway and accompanies her fiancé.

The song changes into something a bit more livelily yet still the same beauty. The first lady in front takes a long, graceful step and she begins to make her way slowly down the stairs.

Chatter and laughter still floods the room but many people, mostly men, stare at her with grins and smiles. Once she reaches the half way mark, another woman begins her descent down the stairs.

I now remember that it's tradition for all of the ladies accompanying have to walk down the steps to show they're appreciation for the hostess and host.

Ten more woman go down the stairs, the next one going once the lady in front of them reaches the halfway point. And as my turn comes up, I realize that I'm not all that nervous – blissful even. It's hard to make me scared of things, and it's especially hard if you're trying to talk me out of something. I suppose you can say I'm stubborn, but right now that isn't really the case.

The young lady in front of me reaches the middle step and I know it's my turn to finally go down the red-carpeted stairs. I take a small breath before I place my first step.

It's as if I'm some kind of rare jewel found in the middle of a mountain. Every single eye in the entire place snaps to me, and half of them either look utterly amazed or completely envious.

With my enhanced hearing, I can hear them murmur to one another. "Who is _that_?" and "She is as beautiful as the goddesses themselves" is what they whisper to one another. I find that last statement a little ironic, and I can't help but smile at the fact.

I ignore their looks of astonishment and start scanning the crowd for Jack. He wasn't lying when he had said that everyone was going to be here because there are approximately 307 people in the room – not including butlers or servants.

But the place is massive! A giant, golden chandelier hangs proudly from the ceiling and lights up the whole room. I bet the tiny candles on the wall are only for decoration. A sea of a million colors covers the smooth, marble floor. Taking all the dresses of the woman from the hall and putting them with their black clothed mates, the whole place looks absolutely dazzling!

On the left side of the gigantic room is the longest buffet in history (trust me, I'd know). Platters of food of all kinds pile up along the white top and decretive plants seem to pop out of it like trees on a distant landscape. On the opposite corner is a symphony of many types of instruments. It would've been interesting to have a guitar among the group, but I doubt anyone else knows how to play it.

And that's when I see Jack. That's when I see his completely dumbstruck face standing on the side of the symphony orchestra. Even from this far away I can see his bright green eyes fixed into huge orbs as he stares at me in pure amazement.

I'm about to reach the bottom step and I send him a warm, gentle smile before I reach the ground. I'd stop to see what he'd do back but I know I have to continue down and away from view.

I don't hesitate for one second as I push my way past awed looking men and jealous woman. I feel their stares burning into me, but I ignore everyone because only one person is on my mind right now and that's Jack.

It takes me a good five minutes before I can finally find my way to him. I pop through two squished men and practically fall right into him. Luckily, I catch myself just before and I'm able to stand up straight and send him a huge grin.

"Hello, Jack," I chirp happily as I stare into his green depths. The only reaction I get out of him is his never ending gaze as he stares at me like I'm the most beautiful thing in the world to him.

And, maybe at this moment, I am.

Though he doesn't look half bad himself. His blond bangs already seem to be longer than normal (or he actually _brushed _it for once) and they gently tickle his face. The light shines off of his golden locks and dance inside of his still unblinking eyes. The colors have a very nice contrast with his black suit that a lot of men seem to be wearing.

It takes another full minute for it to finally dawn on me that he isn't going to say something anytime soon.

"Jack?" I speak up with a bit of worry in my tone "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"U-uh…y-y-you're…pret…really…um…" He mumbles and stammers all at once. Is he OK? He can barely even speak! And now his face is getting all flushed…

"Jack?" I say again, "Are you _sure_ you are OK?"

"Y-yeah," he blurts out and puts on a nervous grin. His face turns even redder and he starts rubbing the back of his head. "You just look…really…really b-beautiful."

Now I feel my own face turn hotter and I suddenly realize that maybe I'm…blushing? A sweet, singsong giggle escapes from my lips and I breathe, "Thanks."

His face lights up and I feel the nerves falling away a little bit from him. "I told you, you had a nice laugh."

I can't help but laugh again and I give a poor attempt to cover my mouth with my hand. "Though don't you clean up good," I joke and shoot him a wink "where'd you get the suit?"

His ears turn pink for a moment and a goofy, lopsided grin stretches across his face. "It comes with everything else – you know, package deal."

"Well, whoever chose it sure has good taste," I only half joke because he really does look good in it.

Jack merely chuckles and answers with a big grin on his face "Thanks."

I'm about to say more when I see the King and Queen on the top of the stairs again. Butlers throughout the ballroom hush at the guests to tell them to be quiet, apparently there is an announcement coming up.

The small whispers and murmurs are cut short by a loud, welcoming voice as the King shouts out his greeting, "I wish to thank you all for coming! It is an honor to see so many people come and congratulate us on our engagement! I hope you all have a wonderful time and enjoy yourselves as much as possible!" Another roar of applause and cheering releases itself from the room as the monarchies wave to the people happily. The praise is suddenly cut short when loud music bursts from the band. They play with intensity and passion while the royal couple gracefully descends the stairs and onto the smooth floor. Everyone in the middle slightly bow as they move their way backwards until each and everyone of us is squished against the wall.

Out on the dance floor, the King and Queen clasps their hands together with everyone watching in fascination and awe. The queen places her hand on her fiancé's shoulder and he places his on her waist. They instantly start dancing to the music, their feet moving together in unison and precise timing. The Queen's white, sparkling dress flows around her with an air of elegance and beauty. His midnight black suit compares perfectly with her snow-white gown.

We all watch for a good, solid five minutes as they twirl around and around the dance room, the music never ceasing. Across the room I see a middle-aged couple make their way onto the ballroom floor and join the dance. They jump right into the music like they've been doing it forever. It isn't long before more couples move their way onto the floor and twist around like everyone else.

As more people begin to join the ball, I suddenly notice Jack standing right next to me. I try to focus all of my attention on the dancers but it's like his presence is just too overbearing. It finally becomes too much and I turn to look at him, only to find that he had been starring at me. His face goes bright red and he rubs the back of his neck instantly, knowing he was too slow to look away.

I put on a warm, friendly smile to let him know it's all right

"Do you want to dance?" I ask after a moment of silence. My voice is calm and cool, but inside I'm practically shaking. I've never really danced before, well…with a boy…

He gives a goofy grin and chirps, "Yes…I'd love too."

We then awkwardly step onto the edge of the dance floor and Jack shakily offers his right hand. I look into his bright green eyes and I can easily see the nerves jumping around in them, but he isn't the only one with butterflies. I have to use my magic in order to keep myself from fumbling around like some idiot.

But I really shouldn't be so worried – it's just Jack…

_Oh yeah, that helps._

I now realize that I've been leaving him hanging for a few seconds now so I quickly place my hand into his. His hand tightens around mine and I involuntary swallow as my heart starts beating up. It certainly doesn't help when I feel his left hand gently place itself over my waist. My face instantly gets hotter and I find that it's hard to breathe.

_Come on, Farore! Get a hold of yourself!_ I scream inside my mind, _what in the world is wrong with me!_

On my exterior I am perfectly calm and content with a nice smile lighting up my face. I take my free hand and softly place it on his shoulder. I feel his black fabric underneath my fingers and it's surprisingly comforting. Luckily, it makes some of my nerves go away so I'm at least able to walk.

Being the man, Jack gracefully begins to lead us out further into the dance floor. His feet move with excellent motion and timing, I can't help but be surprised! You'd think a "street" kid wouldn't know a thing about dancing, yet he is definitely proving me wrong right now!

I move in perfect unison with him and we effortlessly keep up with the other dancers as they spin around and around. It's amazing at all the colors that are flooded throughout the room. It looks like a never-ending sea of vibrant colors and I'm one of the waves forming that ocean.

I now feel Jack's warm stare burning into me and my first reaction is to look up at him. Our eyes lock and my heart beats harder again as I get lost in green depths. Things have gotten really strange lately and all I want to know is why? What in the world is making me do this?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I suddenly whisper uncontrollably, but my voice isn't harsh, it's barely audible. And as I see the corners of his mouth rise into a smile, I just have to reflect his kind smile.

"S-sorry," He stammers and his ears go pink. "It's just that…well…"

"Don't worry, you can do it," I joke and he gives a small chuckle. I'm surprised that I can hear him so easily over this music and all the commotion, is that because we're so close?

"Actually, it's really hard," he muses aloud and then a look on his face tells me he wished he never said that.

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"Well…" he mumbles and I feel his fingers flex in our bound hands. He swallows a couple of times as he stares at me deeply. His eyes seem to grow back into complete amazement and when he goes to speak, nothing comes out.

"…Jack?" I say in a concerned voice.

"You're really, really beautiful tonight, Farore!" He suddenly burst out and his face immediately goes as red as a tomato. I feel own eyes go wide and my throat tightens in on itself. That's why it was so hard? Because I was so…beautiful?

And as if he didn't prove that enough, more words come flying out of his mouth like he just can't control himself. "You look amazing…just purely amazing. And that's why I'm having a bit of a nervous break down," he half jokes at the end because we both know that it really is true.

Though now I feel my own cheeks redden so much that it actually kind of hurts. I use my magic just a bit so I'm only a soft shade of red. I guess I shouldn't be so astonished, I am a goddess after all and yet…hearing it from him makes me feel so embarrassed but in a good, strange way.

I let out a small giggle as we twist around a twirling couple, "You don't look half bad yourself," I joke with a small wink.

Jack rapidly and unexpectedly raises his arm and I instantly remember that there is more to this dance then just walking in circles. With his hand raised high I spin around in a graceful circle with my dress flowing around me like a river falling over smooth, carefree pebbles.

The music picks up and more exotic dance moves come into play. The men all spin their dates around and around until we are barely able to keep up with them. Jack and I find ourselves laughing at it all – nothing in particular, but just being together.

After a good five minutes of twirling and spinning, the music finally surceases and I finish up my final whirl. I suddenly lose control of my footing and fall into Jack. His hands snap onto my arms as I lean against him for support, my hands resting on his shoulder by accident.

I don't know what made me trip – especially since I normally never make clumsy mistakes like that, but as his strong arms hold me to him, I really don't care all too much.

And then we start laughing again for no reason once so ever. Though it feels good, not having to worry about anything.

"Having some trouble there?" He jokes with that same, cute goofy looking grin of his.

"Maybe you were just too slow," I wink back and he only laughs at me.

"Guess we'll find out in the end," he retorts with his own wink and I'm left in slight confusion. What did he mean by that?

I then straighten myself, remembering the fact that I had been leaning on him for a while now. He lets go of my arms and takes a small step back with that old nervous feeling again.

"Want to get some drinks, I'm pretty thirsty." He asks, gesturing across the room to the giant buffet.

"Sure," I grin, "They look really good!" We then hurriedly walk across the floor before the next dance starts up again. I notice how Jack constantly checks over his shoulder to see that anyone hasn't cut me off or that I'm still following. Somehow, I find that sweet.

After squeezing our way through tight clusters of people and some couples, we finally reach the giant buffet. I stare in awe at all the food and drinks they have, you could feed the world with all of this!

There are rows of meats, fruits, vegetables, bread, cheeses, and pretty much anything I can think of. Almost every tray is decorated with its own special ornaments like plants and even some jewels. Luckily, we landed right at one of the areas full of exotic glass bowls of drinks. There are multiple types of wine and juices, though Jack reaches a hand across the table towards the lonesome pitcher in the back full of ice-cold water. He takes a cup but shoots me a questioning look before doing anything else.

"Do you want some water?" He asks politely with another gesture towards the small pitcher.

"Sure, thanks!" I pipe and he pours us both a glass, being careful not to spill any of it on the white, clean table spread.

He walks back to me with a full cup of water in each hand. Passing me a drink, I can only stare at his trademark goofy grin.

"Thank you, sir," I say playfully as I go to drink my beverage. The ice-cold water shocks me despite my knowing and sends shivers down my spine. I feel some tiny pieces of ice make their way into my mouth along with another small gulp of water. I bring my cup down and see Jack still chugging his drink.

Releasing a small giggle, I can't help but comment "You really are thirsty aren't you?"

But he doesn't answer until he pulls back his cup with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Well, not anymore," he jokes and I laugh again.

I open my mouth to say something but I'm cut off a deep, teasing voice from behind me.

"I'm pretty sure chugging your water isn't going to impress anyone," the voice then lets out a small, rough chuckle and I turn around to see who it is.

Due to my godly powers, I instantly recognize the man for Jack's fighting instructor, Master Opal. His light amber eyes shine brightly with his jet-black suit. I can tell he doesn't care much for dressing up, considering the fact that there is a large rip on his sleeve. He is wearing a dark red, faded vest underneath. His shirt isn't tucked in and hangs over loose pants.

However, the man next to him stands a good head shorter than Master Opal. His dirty blonde hair spikes up on end in all-different directions and gives him an extra inch or so. His hazel eyes look at us with humor and slight amazement, but only when he looks at me for some reason. He is wearing the same type of suit as Jack though his seems older and less fitting. I easily recognize this man as Professor Ress.

"Now who is your friend here, Jack?" Master Opal asks, gesturing towards me with rather large, surprised eyes. "It's rude to not introduce her."

I feel Jack come to stand next to me and, out of the corner of my eye, I see him rub the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face.

"This is my friend Farore," he begins in a happy, relaxed tone. "Farore, this is Master Opal and Professor Ress."

"Farore…" Ress muses over aloud "As in the goddess?"

"That's one way to look at it," I say back playfully and they all give a small chuckle.

"So where'd you find her, Jack? Who knew you could get some one as pretty as this young lady," Opal jokes and he and Ress start cracking up, amusement on their grinning faces.

"Uh…" Is the only thing Jack can think of, as his face turns red once again.

"Well, it is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Farore," Ress finally says politely after he's done laughing his head off.

"And the same for you," I respond with equally politeness and a dip of the head.

"I like you," Opal randomly comments with a very serious expression. We all turn to look at him with a bit of confusion.

"Um…thanks," I grin and let out a little laugh. "Why?"

He only scratches his tanned chin and stares at me with thought and importance in his eyes. After a moment or two, a small smile plays on his face and he declares, "I think it's the hair."

We all begin to laugh at this - Jack and I the most – until a much slower and calmer music fills the ballroom. I don't pay much notice to this until I see Opal and Ress shooting mischievous looks at each other. I have a bad feeling about this…

"Did you know that it is tradition for all new…recruits to have to do a nice, _slow_ dance with their date," Ress says in the most humorless tone he can muster, empathizing the word slow as Opal tries to hold back a chuckle.

"Now you're just playing with me," Jack laughs and rubs the back of his again.

"I'm serious!" He exclaims, "It is tradition!"

"But-," Jack begins.

"Oh, just go!" Opal playful shoves Jack into me and we stumble our way onto the dance floor. We both start laughing as we shuffle our way more towards the center.

And that's when I realize I have to slow dance with Jack. Oh my goddesses…

It appears that Jack has now realized that too because he keeps giving me awkward glances and shifts his weight from foot to foot.

"Well," I begin, trying to keep my voice to stay calm but my nerves break through my defense, "I guess we look kind of silly standing here."

"Y-yeah," Jack murmurs, "I guess we do."

"If that's so," I start, a devious smirk extending across my lips, "then may I have this dance?" I place my hand out in front of him, palm up, and he just lightheartedly rolls his eyes. His own smirk crawls across his face as he places his hand into mine.

"You may." He then gently tightens his grip on mine and slowly and carefully pulls me closer to him. I feel my breath start getting shorter and my heart speeding up _once again_. My calm nature from before completely vanishes and things start heating up again. His hands then move away from mine and softly rest on my waist. I slowly raise my own hands up to his shoulder and make sure not to look into his eyes, knowing they'll just make me weak in the knees. I gently wrap my hands around his neck and I find myself swallowing nervously as my face gets hot.

"They certainly like to play around with you," I remark anxiously as we begin to sway to the music along with everyone else around us. My eyes are fixed onto a couple a few yards away from and I dare not look towards him.

"Yeah, but I don't mind. It's pretty funny when they pick on people," he says in a surprisingly relaxed tone. I now feel his eyes bore into mine and I know he is trying to make me look up into his.

With a quickly beating heart and a twisted stomach, I turn my head and gaze up into his eyes. I'm first taken aback by how close we really are, but then I'm surprised by how calm and happy he is. It's as if all of his nerves suddenly vanished and he appears to be truly enjoying himself.

I find myself soon reflecting his blissful expression with a smile of my own. Being so close to him, I can easily see the happiness shining in his eyes and it just makes me feel so much warmer inside as if he had absorbed my previous nerves from before.

"Yes," I say in a much more relaxed tone, "they sure do seem like fun to be around."

"I think you'd like them, I know they already like you," he grins and I let out a small giggle.

"I told you my green hair would help!" And then it's his turn to laugh and I see a few people striking looks at us. This thought once again amuses me and I struggle to hold back a giggle.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight," Jack suddenly says with a content and satisfied smile.

"No problem, it's fun," I answer as we continue to gracefully sway to the music.

"Was it hard to get away from your sisters?" He asks in a concerned tone and raises an eyebrow.

I gently shake my head with my own pleased smile. "No, they were surprisingly OK with it."

"So they know then?" His voice quiets down for some reason and he looks at me with some astonishment and confusion.

"Well…" I mumble, "I never really told them but…they seem to know. They helped me get ready."

"Really?" He blurts, "That's a bit strange…"

"Yeah," I agree "But I didn't really want to question it."

"Good choice," he acknowledges with a wink and I let out a sweet giggle.

"I should really thank you, I've never been to a ball," I note, gesturing around us with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Then you're happily welcomed," he says teasingly.

I only laugh at this until I suddenly find myself basically resting my head on his shoulder. How did that get there?

But now I know that there is no way out of it. If I jerk my head away it would seem extremely rude and…well…I kind of like it there.

So I decide to go all the way. With great care, I lightly rest my head on his shoulder and move closer to him. He is stiff for a moment before he removes his hands from my waist and softly wraps his arms around me, holding me to him.

I gladly close my eyes and let myself take in the warmth of his embrace with his clean scent flowing into my nose. A small smile graces my lips as I feel him anxiously fiddle around with my hair in his hand. I now feel somehow more complete while Jack continues to play around with my hair, the thing I had been wanting for a long time.

To my disappointment, Jack freezes what he is doing. My frown diminishes to curiosity and confusion as he bends he head down so his mouth is next to my ear.

"Will you come with me," he whispers and I feel his breath tickle my face. His voice sounds so mysterious yet pleading in a way. Perhaps it's just my enhanced powers that allow me to detect that, I'm not sure.

But of course I'll go with him, wherever that may be. I nod my head and murmur back "yes." He then gently takes my hands and leads me through the swaying couples like fish swimming between seaweed.

It takes us a moment or too before we finally break out of the crowd and now walk along the outskirts of the ballroom. Jack doesn't slow down his stride one bit as he leads me to an open doorway leading outside.

As I stare out at the courtyard, I'm amazed at how moonlight can really bring out the beauty in everything. The white radiance shines down on the dark green leaves while they lie over each other lazily. Everything seems to just glow with the moonlight – from the short, cut grass to the numerous clumps of trees, bushes, and flowers – each one of them is bathed in the silvery glow.

Jack now starts to slow his pace down and he walks next to me, still holding my hand gently.

I look up at him and see that the moonlight especially lightens his face magnificently. Most of it may be in shadow; but it is still able to give him a smooth, silver outline. I stare deeply into his eyes and I try and see what he's feeling. His fingers squeeze ever so slightly every few seconds and his eyes look nervous and worried. Obviously, he's about to do something, but what?

"Jack?" I say in a bit of a concerned voice "What is it? Is everything OK?"

He only puts on a small, fake smile as he continues to lead me. We finally come to a stop at the edge of a large fountain. The water mirrors the star filled sky and the light dances across its peaceful surface. The droplets spurt out of a stone tulip and descend into the water.

Jack then sits down on the edge and gently pulls on my hand, wanting me to do so too. I get the hint and carefully sit down next to him while questions go jumping around in my head. What in the world is going on?

"F-Farore," he stammers out and lets go of my hand. He fiddles around with a fold in his clothing, another sign of anxiety. "I have another confession."

"What do you mean?" I question with confusion written plainly across my face.

"I mean," he begins awkwardly, "there is another secret about me…about my past. I want to share it with you," he blurts out at the end.

"Oh," I say, a bit taken aback. He has _more_ secrets? I didn't know anyone could have that many. Or maybe I do…

"What is it?" I ask, breaking myself away from my thoughts.

"W-well," he mumbles, probably unsure of how to start. "You know how my family and I were forced out of our home because of that powerful man who excused my dad of killing his wife?"

"Yes," I answer, clearly remembering that night only a few days ago.

"Normally, the entire family would be killed on the spot, but something was stopping the guards from doing so."

Jack pauses and looks at me, waiting for me to say something. "What was it?" I ask politely, but I am curious nevertheless.

"That man was my uncle," he begins to explain as his tone starts to slow down and I _know_ that we're coming to the big secret now. "He is now the King of Azmenak."

Jack stops once again and stares at me, waiting for me to start freaking out about something, but what? I let this sink in for a moment. If Jack's uncle is the king of Azmenak then that would mean that Jack would have to have royal blood in him…

"Oh my gosh!" I cry out so unexpectedly that it makes him jump. "Are you some kind of prince or something!"

"I _was_ 'some kind of prince or something'." He says in a bit of a sorrowful tone "but when my father, the old king, was forced to leave my uncle took up the thrown and I became 'ex-prince'." He takes a respite and lets me seize even more of these sudden realizations. Jack…this kid who had been a street kid for half of his life - is some kind of prince! Well, ex-prince now.

"Y-you mean to say," I stammer, still completely shocked out of my mind, "that you used to be the prince of Azmenak!"

Jack only nods and things begin to completely make sense! Being royalty, you get special privileges like learning how to ride a horse, the ability to read and write, and know how to play a guitar! That would also explain how he can dance extremely well and the fact that he has perfectly good manners whenever he needs too. It makes so much sense that it's even scary.

There are so many thoughts bouncing around in my head that I randomly pick one and blurt out my question, "Why would your uncle do something like that?"

"It's simple," he starts to explain again in a disgusted and saddened tone. "He wanted the throne and we were the only one standing in his way. The easiest solution in his eyes was to kill his own wife and blame it on us."

"Wait!" I gasp, "He _killed_ his own wife!"

Jack nods once again and I gasp for another time. It's so amazing and terrible at what people will do to get their hands on power. Since I created life, I am highly against murder, it just isn't right!

"I-I had to tell you," Jack stammers out suddenly, regaining his awkward and worried tone, "I couldn't keep a secret that big from you, it just wasn't right."

And that was when I should've done it. I should've completely all out told him right there and then about my own immense secret. I just wanted to blurt out "Jack, I'm a goddess!"

And yet…I somehow couldn't. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. It was like my heart was caught in my throat and I was barely even able to breathe. It would've been perfect, the best time of all to tell him.

But I didn't, I kept my mouth shut and let fear over rule my judgment. I am the goddess of courage! Fear had never made me do anything before but ever since I met Jack…everything has been upside down and right side up – if that even makes sense.

What would Din and Nayru think about it? I know they would tell me that it would be far, far too risky. It would go against the sacred code! The thing we've been living by for such a long time! They would tell me that Jack might try to harness my power or abuse it. I would then say that he would never do something like that; he wasn't that kind of person.

And they'd ask me how I would know and I'd lose right then and there.

So instead of blurting out my secret, I send Jack the warmest of smiles and let the light dance inside of my eyes.

"I understand," I say sweetly, "and thank you, for everything." I then lean across the empty space between us before I freeze – not even inches – away from his cheek. I feel myself more in control, more relaxed, and I finish the distance and plant a soft, light peck on his cheek.

I know I'm supposed to fall back into my seat but I find myself fixed to the spot. I can't move a muscle and my lips are still gently skimming his cheek. I now feel that same old sensation of heat rising into my face and my heart flying around in my chest. It doesn't help one bit as Jack slowly turns his head just a bit so his lips are closer to mine. So close I could –

"Jack!" an unfamiliar voice calls off in the distance and we practically throw ourselves away from each other. I feel myself blush and I hide my face with my hair, unable to see the emotions in Jack's face.

"Jack!" The voice calls again and I now see a scrawny, little boy running his way towards us.

"What is it, Mend?" Jack asks in a small voice with a slight shaking to it that only I could hear.

"Professor Ress wants to show you something with history and junk like that," the tiny boy says in a disgusted tone and waves his hand around like he's swatting a fly.

"O-oh," Jack mumbles, "thanks, I'll be right there."

"OK!" the boy pipes and goes running back inside. A long silence stretches right afterwards, little to my surprise.

"Farore?" I hear Jack's anxious voice say softly from close by.

"Yes?" I answer in a tone that doesn't show one bit of my shaking emotions. I force myself to turn my head and look into his nervous eyes. He bites his bottom lip for a second before continuing,

"I-I guess we should go in now," he mumbles and I give him a small nod.

"Yeah, I guess we should," I now send him a smile and force _him_ to look into my eyes. I make sure warmth is radiating off of me, I don't feel like going through this awkwardness. I only want to have some fun and go on with the night like nothing else matters.

And as Jack's shoulders relax and that same goofy grin flies across his face, I know that's exactly what he wants too. It doesn't matter if he's an ex-prince of Azmenak, it doesn't change the fact that he's still Jack. The same old silly Jack who can do back flips off of buildings and even make the goddess of courage scared.

We walk back inside; hand in hand and joking around with each other. Apparently Professor Ress just wanted to show him a painting of one of the old kings and some facts about him. I was even so blissful enough that I decided to impress him with a few facts of my own about the king and he instantly agrees with Master Opal about liking me.

The rest of the night is carefree and fun. Jack and I dance to most of the enjoyable songs, spinning around and tripping over each other's feet until we're too exhausted to do anything more.

The end of the ball comes all too fast and I'm forced to say good-bye to him. We part ways and I go into a closet to teleport myself back home.

Inside the Sacred Realm with the irritating silence and perfection, I quickly make my way down to the kitchen. I don't even bother changing out of my dress, at least not yet. There is one last thing I have to do.

I enter the kitchen to find Nayru over a stack of books with a cup of hot chocolate and Din rummaging in the cabinet for something. They're bright eyes snap towards me but not one bit of my confidence or courage melts away.

I stand up as straight as I can without looking like an idiot and stare down at them with importance and strength.

With a powerful and controlled voice, I say determinedly, "I want to tell him, I want to tell him the truth."

_Author's Note:_

_Wow that was a long chapter! A little over 14 pages and 8348 words! (Not including the author's note.)_

_A lot of stuff happened in this chapter and that's why it was so long. One of the biggest things is that Jack is the ex-princes of Azmenak. I'm normally not a big fan of those kind of stories where the character randomly finds out he's royalty or something like that, but he's an "ex" prince so that changes things a bit. But the real important question is how this will affect him?_

_Not only that but now Farore wants to tell him the truth! I told you things would get much more interesting from here on out._

_I decided to place the lyrics to the song at the beginning because I thought it went really well with the events in this chapter. I plan on doing that for very important chapters._

_I'll be gone for the weekend so please don't be upset if I don't respond to anyone quickly._

_Please read and review!_

_Thanks!_

_~~Wave~~_


	13. Chapter 12 Realization

Chapter Twelve – Realization

"I want to tell him, I want to tell him the truth."

Nayru and Din instantly freeze like I had zapped them in place. It's silent for a long time, both of them starring at me like I had just lost my mind – and perhaps I have.

But I'm determined not to be the first one to speak, that's a sign of weakness and I am going to be strong, even stronger than Din.

Nothing stirs in the room as I stare coolly back at them, radiating my courage onto their dumbfounded souls.

Din is the first to recover but it isn't much. She turns her body fully around and matches my powerful gaze with her own. "What?" She asks in a forced monotone voice.

"I want to tell Jack the truth," I answer in the same pitch. Now it is Nayru's turn to speak up.

"And the truth would be…?" She questions back. _As if it isn't obvious…_

Despite my confidence, I find myself hesitating. I know what I have to do but the reactions from them could be anything. Knowing I'm stepping into some dangerous territory, I take a deep breath and say in the same, strong voice, "I am going to tell Jack the truth."

"You will do no such thing!" Din suddenly roars. It takes all my might not to cringe under her terrifying voice and piercing red eyes. I should have known I'd get this reaction from her.

"Don't be silly, Farore," Nayru snickers at me, "you know it is completely forbidden to do such a thing." She turns back to her work as if what I just said meant completely nothing to her. But I am the Goddess of Courage – master of emotions, and I can easily see that small flicker of fear flashing in her deep blue eyes.

"No, Nayru," I scowl "I'm dead serious." Her body instantly freezes once again, her eyes fixed on the page before her but not getting anything. Now they both know I'm serious. Because I had created life, I rarely ever refer to anything with death in the way I had done.

I continue to stare down into Nayru's head while ignoring Din's own glare. It takes a moment or two before she finally lifts up her head and looks back into mine. As soon as she sees my humorless and stern expression, her own anger whips into her eyes like lightning illuminating the night sky.

"You will do no such a thing," she repeats Din's word with a growl as she slowly begins to stand up.

"I need to tell him-," I begin but Din cuts me off before I can barely even say anything more.

"You don't _need_ to do anything!" She hisses and takes a step closer to me, "you're only being stupid, Farore."

"What is your problem!" I shout irritably back, losing some of my previous composure, "I thought you were on my side!"

"Well I never imagined _this_!" she spits out at me and I feel more anger rising throughout my body. No wonder Nayru lashes out so quickly with their petty fights – Din can sure boil anyone's blood.

"You cannot tell him no matter what, Farore!" Nayru jumps in with a loud and harsh tone, "You can't trust him!"

"I can't trust him!" I shout back in disbelief, my delicate hands balling up into fists. "Of course I can trust him! He would never hurt me!"

"That's pathetic, Farore! You have no idea what he would do!" Din scorns back with a strong mien of arrogance.

"Oh, and I suppose _you_ do?" I retort, crossing my arms and glaring at her with cold, ice blue eyes.

"Well, I have a pretty darn good guess," she hisses.

"Yes," I mock "a _guess_, something that isn't entirely fact."

"Farore," Nayru pops back in with the quickness of a snake, "Why do you even want to tell him in the first place? It can only lead to trouble."

"It won't lead to trouble-,"

"Just tell us why!" she hisses intolerantly, cutting me off once again.

"Because he told me everything about his life and I have told nothing! Absolutely nothing! I can't hold this secret from him any longer!" I snap at her, my nails digging into my skin as my fists tighten up.

"Really?" Nayru derides me, a small, evil smirk on her lips. "Are you sure it is not anything else?"

I pause for a moment, my mind whirling at what she is trying to hint at. "What else could it possibly be?"

"Well is it not obvious?" she gives a painfully sarcastic laugh and turns to Din to see if she is joining her, but the red haired goddess is just as confused as I am. "Clearly, Farore is in love with this guy!"

I open my mouth to reply but nothing comes out. _In love? With Jack? Now this has never once crossed my mind._

I see the anger and shock wielding up in Din's eyes and she takes another dangerous step closer to me. I know I have to act soon or else it could get worse.

"In love?" I sneer as if it is the dumbest thing in the world, "that is impossible. I am not in love with Jack!"

"Oh, how do you know, Farore?" Nayru asks with a scowl on her face. "You don't have the slightest clue what love is?"

"And you do?" I glare back at her, only to find fury crawling its way back into me.

"Of course I do!" she snaps, "I have 'Nayru's Love' after all!"

"Then tell me," I growl harshly, "what is love to you?"

"It does not matter what it is to me," she begins in that annoying, matter-of-factly tone "it can only be figured out by _your_ feelings."

"Then tell us, Nayru," Din hisses through clenched teeth, giving a poor attempt to calm her rage. "How are we to know if little Farore is in…_love_," she spits out this last word as if she just bit on something of the sickest food in the world.

"Why don't we ask her," Nayru says in such a threatening and secretive tone, I'm slightly scarred of what is going to come out of her mouth. "Do you always want to see him?"

_Do I always want to see him?_ I repeat in my head, more thoughts jumping around as my heart beat dangerously races. Thinking back to all the hours I've been spending with him, I guess you could say so….

_No, Farore!_ I silently yell at myself. _Don't fall for their tricks, I _have _to get them to allow me to tell Jack. Oh, why did I even tell them in the first place! As if they'd actually let me spill my secret!_

I now feel their continuous stares burning into me and I realize that they're still waiting for an answer. But what am I supposed to say? I'm completely tongue-tied…

"Well…?" Din urges and I see the fear reflecting in her eyes too.

"It's not like I have anything else to do here," I finally huff, crossing my arms and being extremely grateful for my talent with emotions.

"So is that a yes?" Din asks in a shaking tone and I suddenly see what's worrying her. They _both_ are afraid that I really have fallen for Jack. But what if I am in –

"Look," I begin frantically "it doesn't matter what I feel. The important thing is that I am going to tell him, whether you like it or not."

"You will not inform him of anything!" Din barks with a furious expression crossing her face.

"And why not!" I shout back with an equal amount of tension.

"Just think of what could happen, Farore!" Nayru says loudly while giving a weak endeavor at calming me down. "The moment he finds out he will only keep you around to make you create money, clothes, and a bunch of other products that he will want! It is simple; he will _use_ you!"

At these words, rage erupts throughout my body and I feel my teeth involuntary clench while my hands go back to fists by my side. "Jack would never, _ever_ do such a thing! He would never hurt me!" I scream at them, heat building inside of me.

"Even if that were true," Din hisses, "he still might accidentally tell someone else and that person might not be so 'good' as you claim."

"Jack can keep secrets," I snap at her and she just shakes her head back and forth in disagreement.

"As if it is not bad enough," Nayru begins in a threatening tone, "he probably already knows that you are a goddess!"

"What!" I gasp, completely taken aback. "How could he possibly know!"

"It might not be him," she growls, her voice not so loud as she ponders this, "but I have been detecting some foul play down in Hyrule. It can only mean that someone is suspicious of who you truly are. I first encountered this vile presence the day we found you in the inn – I'm guessing with this 'kid'."

I have no reply to this. Nothing. Zip. Zero.

It is the worst possibility that anyone could think of. There is a special, ancient power that allows any person to hurt a goddess or god, even kill them. With a goddess gone from their country, it can only mean an inevitable death for the land.

"No," I say in a very weak and soft voice, "Jack wouldn't do such a thing…"

"And to top it all off," Din begins in a very fierce and loud tone, "you are going against the Sacred Code – against Deus himself!"

"I am not!" I snap back at her, the mention of Deus bringing me back to the present.

"Oh please, Farore!" Din spits in disgust "Every god and goddess knows that their masters last wish is for the land they created to flourish with peace and strength. But what you're doing with this guy is going completely against everything he had ever wanted! You are dishonoring him, Farore! You dishonor everyone!"

"Shut! UP!" I scream at her with not one bit of control. "I am not disrupting his wishes in anyway!"

"No," Nayru steps in sternly, "Din is right, you _are_ throwing away everything Deus has ever taught us! Not even three weeks have gone by after his passing and you are already destroying his creation!"

These words hit hard – I knew they would – but the sting is still fresh and brutal. They know all I had ever wanted to do was be a strong ruler of this land and follow everyone of Deus's wishes. But telling me that I'm tossing it aside like garbage…like all the bad stuff is my fault…that hurts, that hurts so bad that I feel my eyes begin to water.

And then tears begin to fall down my face. Because the most brutal thing of what they had said was true, it was all true.

With a broken heart and holding back uncontrollable sobs, I dash from the room while warping to the only place I could possibly think of.

I wrap my arms around me as if I could somehow contain my hysterics as my body quickly transports itself to the field. Being so absorbed in my pain, I don't even realize that I have made it to my destination.

I shut my eyes tight as tears stream down my cheeks. I haven't really thought much about Deus, except for that one time with Jack, but wow…how much it hurts. I've let him down so…so badly. What would he think of me now? Not even a month after I became a true goddess and look what I'm thinking, reveling the most important thing I swore to protect!

Would he say this isn't like me? Or would he tell me it was all going to be OK?

I silently beg him to tell me as I slump over and continue to cry. My emotions fly up to the sky and it isn't long before rain starts pouring down from the dark clouds. The water drenches everything insight, nothing is safe.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I stand up with shaking legs and begin to walk towards a soaked stone bench. Through the gloom and my watery eyes, I am still able to see the towering building known as the Temple of Time. For a moment, I reflect on my gratitude for this place, no one ever comes behind the temple.

And as I carefully sit down on the bench, tears sliding down my face as fast as the rain that I can't even tell which one is which, I miss Deus more and more. He was my father, creator, and teacher…and by what I'm doing, I'm letting him down.

With sobs still racking my body, I hunch over on the bench and let the water fall down on me. It feels good - like I'm not the only one in pain tonight. I hug myself again, my soaking green hair clinging to my head and shoulders while my dress does the same.

I continue to cry for the next few minutes. It isn't until I sense a strange change in the area do I take a moment to catch my breath. Despite my sorrow, I somehow manage to detect another presence approaching.

_I sure hope it isn't my sisters arriving; I'm definitely not in the mood for their "smart" words._

I bend my head down so it almost touches my lap. I try to contain myself but the tears continue to fall. Even if it is them, at least they can see the damage they have done to me.

I now hear the faint sound of feet walking cautiously across the moist grass, the ground making a sucking sound with each step. As the person comes closer, I hear them start walking quicker until they are practically at a jog.

Yet I keep my head down, not in the mood to address this person, whomever they may be.

The footsteps suddenly seize and I feel them standing only a few feet away. Their eyes bore into my head and I just wish they'd go away. Can't they see I'm in distress! I don't want their "comfort."

"F-Farore?" A small and surprisingly familiar voice reaches my ear. I take a sharp intake of breath and feel my face becoming warmer than normal. Even though I wish so much to control my crying, the tears still manage to fall out of my eyes like a waterfall.

I hear him take a step closer, the ground sucking at his foot as he inches his way towards me. "Farore?" He says a bit louder, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

I know he is waiting for me to respond, at least look at him, but I don't want him to see me like this. What would he think? I really need to get myself together again.

I continue to stare down at the muddy ground as I try desperately to hold back my tears. I unexpectedly feel his hand gently place itself on my shoulder and warmth instantly spreads throughout my body.

I am now forced to look up and I slowly move my head to the right, my eyes still downcast. It takes me a moment before I'm able to focus my attention onto him, attempting to look past the cloudy vision of my wet eyes.

"Oh, Farore!" He exclaims and his hands grab onto mine. I let out a little gasp as he pulls me off of the bench and I find myself standing shakily in front of him. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" He panics over me while staring deeply into my wet eyes.

I give a small attempt to speak but nothing comes out of my mouth, only a tiny sob leaving me feeling hopeless and weak. Even with the down pour and his hood casting a shadow across his face, I'm still able to stare back into his wonderful emerald eyes. I notice he changed out of his previous attire and into normal dark brown tunic and leggings. Water droplets constantly drip off of the end of his cloak and hood.

"What's wrong?" He urges, sadness and concern filling up his voice. And as he carefully pulls me a little closer to him, I remember what Nayru had said, "_Clearly, Farore is in love with this guy!"_

My heart starts racing and I feel myself grow numb with shock. Could I possibly be in _love_ with Jack? Would that explain my jumbled emotions and the reddening of my face? Not to mention my unhealthy heart rate when things like this happen.

As if to emphasize this point, Jack's wet hands gently tuck some loose, damp strands of my hair behind my ear, making it easier for me to see the kindness and worry in his green depths.

"Please, Farore," he breaths, hope dying in his voice "tell me what's wrong. I want to help."

I feel my throat tighten and my heartbeat quicken up again. I wonder if he knows I'm still crying or if the rain is hiding that fact.

But as he rubs his thumb in circles around my cheek, catching numerous tears, I can easily see that he knows I'm upset.

"S-sisters," I manage to croak out as I look deeply into his eyes. They show so much concern and tenderness, it makes me slightly weak in the knees.

"Did you get in fight?" He questions politely, trying to hide his worry a little bit for some strange reason.

With these words I harshly remember Deus and all those troubles. A fresh wave of tears breaks out from my eyes and I desperately ponder on what he would say about this, me being so close with Jack and the possibility that I could be in love with him.

I'm now unable to speak with my strength diminished at the thought Deus. I notice Jack is still waiting for an answer so I give a tiny nod and try to hold back hysterics. Even though, sobs somehow manage to make themselves audible.

The moment Jack hears me cry he suddenly pulls me into him. I let out another gasp as his arms wrap comfortingly around me, holding me to him.

My heart starts hammering in my chest and I feel like I can't breath. His warmth basically radiates off of him and my stomach starts twisting and turning. Jack's hand leaves my back for a moment as he adjusts his cloak so now we are both wrapped up in it and protected from the rain.

He places his hand on my back again and gives me a tiny, almost undetectable, push and I know he wants to hold tighter to me – either to protect me more from the rain or for something else, I don't know.

But I do know that I want comfort, someone to tell me that it's going to be okay. I then all but collapse into his arms and place my hands on to his shoulders. My fingers grip onto his tunic so hard it is as if I'm never going to let go. I bury my tear stained face into the area between his neck and his shoulder as my body shakes with continuous crying being released from my shaken state.

Jack only holds me tighter to him and runs his hand up and down my back in a soothing motion. I hear him coon softly into my ear and his breath tickle my cheek.

"It is going to fine now, Farore," he whispers to me "You're safe now, and I'll protect you."

This continues to go for while, exactly I don't know. But as I hold tightly onto him, grateful for his warmth and kindness, I really don't care. He keeps saying kind words into my ear but each sentence ends with "I'll protect you."

These words send me soaring and truly make me feel safe. I barely even feel the rain on me anymore, his body taking the tiny hits.

"Do you want to go back…?" he finally says in the same soothing voice, but I am able to detect a portion of reluctance in it. "Should I take you to your sisters."

I instantly shake my head, my tears easing up a bit with his comfort.

"We can't stay in the rain forever," he breathes with a hint of humor in his voice. "I can take you anywhere you want to go."

I snuggle even farther into him. I don't want to leave him, especially now.

"Please," I weep, my voice still full of sorrow and hurt "don't leave me, let me stay with you."

I feel his hand run up and down my back again before he replies sweetly, "Of course you can stay with me tonight."

The corners of my mouth turn up slightly but before I can even say thank you, I'm suddenly scooped off of the ground and I find myself being cradled in Jack's strong arms.

"Y-you're going to carry me!" I gasp and instinctively clutch onto him.

Jack lets out a little chuckle, "How else can I keep you dry? Pull the edges of the cloak around you so you'll be protected to the rain." I do as he says and I'm surprised that his plan actually works. I don't feel one drop of rain.

Then Jack starts walking with my in his arms. I feel weak and useless as he carries me across the field, the rain pounding against the cloak like water against a roof. I lean my head against his chest and release a sad sigh. Despite the roar of the rain, I easily hear the slow, steady beating of his heart. I try to remain as still and silent as possible while I strain to hear it more clearly. Closing my eyes, I snuggle deeper into his chest and I feel myself drifting off to a doze.

I don't know what wakes me up, but when I do I know I've been asleep for a while. Jack is still carrying me except I see that we're now approaching the sidewall of the castle. Up ahead, I distinguish a small, dark brown door on the wall – probably a side entrance. In front of the door is a hazy figure and I find myself squinting to see who it is.

We begin to come closer and closer until I'm finally able to make out the silhouette. Her silver hair and attire gave her away mostly, but either way, there is no denying that it is Impa.

It's now obvious that Jack and Impa have seen each other, and, for a strange urge I can't explain, I decide to pretend I'm still asleep. Exhausted, I close my eyes and allow a steady, calm breathing take over.

A few seconds later I feel Jack come to a halt and a long silence stretches afterward.

"Impa," Jack says in his best monotone voice but shock still shows through his tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," her emotionless voice comes back and I sense her eyes gesture to me for a split second.

"She needs help," he instantly replies with defiance in his voice.

Another silence elapses as Jack waits for Impa to reply. It feels like forever until Impa finally comments in her same, empty voice.

"Come," she says simply and I open my eye for a split second to see Impa walking through the door. When Jack begins to walk again, I instantly close my eyes, just to be safe.

By the sound of the rain ceasing and the sudden warmth around me, I figure that we have entered the castle. Jack continues to walk, probably following Impa.

It isn't until a few minutes later that she begins her questioning.

"How do you know her, Jack?" Impa asks in a suspicious tone of voice.

"I met her at the port," he replies simply and I feel him shrug his shoulders as he does so.

"What is wrong with her?" She questions right after Jack had given his reply.

"Um…" he mumbles, "I'm not entirely sure."

"Is she hurt?"

"I don't know," he says and I feel him looking down at me for a moment.

There is another stretch of silence; the only sound the echo of our footsteps. I hear a few doors open every once and a while and at some point we walk up a flight of stairs.

Finally, when we are traveling down a warm passage, Impa speaks up in a quiet and curious voice, "How much do you know about her Jack?"

Jack is quiet for a moment before he stutters out, "What do you mean?"

"You don't seem to know all too much about her," she comments.

"So?" Is the only thing he manages to say.

"So I'm just telling you to be careful, Jack. I don't want to see you get hurt."

The conversation dies then but I wish I knew what Jack would've said to that. Me? Hurt Jack? That seems impossible to even dream of!

It isn't long until I'm aware that we have come to a stop. I feel Jack hesitate to speak up but Impa beats him to it.

"Just be careful," she adds in before she disappears before Jack's very eyes.

For a second he is completely still, though he then releases an anguished sigh.

"Farore?" He suddenly whispers and I sense his eyes on mine. Acting as if I had just woken up, I blink my eyes open and look at him in a daze.

"I-I fell asleep?" I muse aloud and I see a small smile reach his lips.

"Yeah, but don't worry, you can go back to sleep soon," he comforts me. I then start sliding out of his hold and he gently helps place me on the ground.

"Thanks," I smile kindly at him "But I could've walked myself."

"Nah," he chuckles "it wasn't too hard." He jokes before opening up his door and leading me inside.

Nothing had changed much from the last time I was here, besides a few various items lying around. I notice the guitar I made him leaning against the wall under the window.

I suddenly feel weak and extremely tired. I can barely keep my eyes open and my legs begin to shake. Beat, I lean against the wall to help support me and take a big breath.

"Farore?" Jack's panicked voice cuts through my senses. He rapidly takes up my view so all I see is his worried face. "What's wrong, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," I mumble and place a hand on my forehead, trying to make the world stand still.

"Come on," he urges gently and places his hands on my shoulder. "You need to lay down." He carefully leads me over to his bed and I shuffle along. With great care, he helps me sit down on the clean sheets. I start taking big breaths and struggle to calm my jumping heart.

I feel Jack sit next to me and he takes my hand into his. Rubbing his thumb in small circles on mine, he asks, "What hurts, Farore? What do you need?"

I release another shaky breath, grateful to be sitting on the bed, before I muse aloud, "…I don't now."

"Do you want to sleep here tonight?" He questions with a hint of anxiousness in his voice.

"I-is that too much trouble?" I question softly and turn my head to look deeply into his green eyes. He suddenly looks very nervous but gives a warm smile and a nod nevertheless.

"Not at all," he answers kindly "but do you want something to sleep in? I don't want you getting a cold."

A small, fragile giggle escapes from my lips as I look down at my soaked dress. Goddesses can't sick, but the fact that Jack is worrying over it is really sweet, even if he doesn't know the truth.

The memories of the fight jump back into my mind but I quickly push it away. Instead, I turn my attention back to Jack and put on a small smile, "Yes please," I say sweetly.

He mimics my expression before getting up and going to his tiny dresser. I only stare as he pulls out a long white tunic and looks at me with a sheepish look on his face.

"Will this do?" He asks with his goofy grin and I only nod back. He walks over and hands me the large shirt, "I-I'll just go…in the…um…corner," he stutters as his face goes bright red.

I feel my own face heat up, despite my random weakness and sorrow. "O-okay," I murmur back and he quickly walks over to the corner of the room. He presses his body as deep as he can into the corner and squeezes his eyes tight.

With a twisting stomach and jumping heart, I stand up and begin to undress myself while watching Jack the entire time. I doubt he would do such a thing, but you can never be too careful.

Once my damp dress is off, I put on the white tunic. Using my hands, I quickly smooth it out and find that it reaches my knees…thank goodness!

"I'm done," I say with a much smaller and weaker voice than I had wanted. While Jack turns carefully back around, I run my hand through my hair and start combing it out again. It is still very wet but there isn't much I can do about that…well, without freaking Jack out.

I notice how his eyes widen just a bit and he swallows nervously. There is an awkward moment of silence as Jack uncomfortably stares at me.

"I-I see it fits," he comments with his face reddening some more.

"Yes," I say simply, "thank you." Jack only gives a small nod and then starts taking off his dripping cloak. He throws it up and places it over a wooden beam; there it will hang until all the water has dripped over and it has dried.

I continue to watch uneasily as he removes his boots, belt, and various daggers.

Once he is done, he straightens up again and looks at me with an anxious gaze in his eyes. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor-,"

"Oh no, Jack!" I exclaim and take a big step closer to him. "You can't take the floor! I've already caused enough trouble for one night."

"Farore," he sighs playfully but I only continue to pout at him, "you and I both know how this will end up. Neither one of us willing to let the other on the floor so we'll have to share the bed…"

"You're not going on the floor," I add in weakly after he had trailed off of at the end. Tears threaten to reform again and I quickly wipe my eyes to try and hide my sadness. The dumb memories and thoughts of my sisters and Deus can't seem to leave me alone! Even at a time like this!

"It's alright, Farore," Jack instantly coons and takes a big step closer while gently taking a hold on my arms. "There's no need to cry anymore."

I merely nod, not saying a word. It isn't until I feel Jack's warm touch on my skin do I realize that he's all I need at the moment – someone to comfort and hold me in my hour of need.

"Please," I say in a small voice while feeling like such an idiot for not being able to control my crying, "don't leave me alone…not tonight."

"Don't worry, Farore," Jack says softly while wiping away a tear from my cheek. "I'll stay with you tonight, I promise."

I don't say anything more because we both know how grateful I am for him around. It makes me wonder why he is so worried about me. Why does he care so much? I must be so annoying right now, crying and asking to stay with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted me gone.

Yet Jack never ceases to amaze me. With great care, he takes me hands and carefully guides me towards the bed. As he slides backwards onto the other side of the bed, gently leading me down with him, I suddenly realize that I'm not breathing. It's not like I need to or anything, but I feel like a helpless body and Jack is the one controlling all of my movements.

It's not like I don't mind, I actually really like it for some strange, odd reason. And as I lie myself down next to him while he gracefully pulls the covers over us, I can't help but remember what Nayru had said about me loving him. What would she say about this? - Me falling to sleep by Jack's side _again_.

Jack twists around and blows out the candle before turning back over to face me. The room is instantly bathed in darkness and it takes me a minute before my eyes adjust to the darkness.

It had never crossed my mind about the size of the bed, but now that we're in it, I realize that it was never meant for two people. Though I already find that the problem is solved because, before I even knew what I was doing, I had snuggled up close to Jack and rested my head against his chest. A moment later I feel his warm arms wrap around my waist and hold me to him, as if he is afraid I'll fall off the bed.

We lie down for a long while, neither one of use truly going to sleep. I hear Jack's heartbeat again and I gratefully listen to it as his chest soothingly rises and falls. He places his head on top of mine and I feel his fingers twiddle around with some loose ends of my hair.

What Nayru had said about me loving Jack had seemed pointless at the time. I was angry and furious; love was the farthest thing on my mind. But as I lie entwined with Jack I go to give it some thought.

I have no idea what love is. I had read it in that book a while ago. They talked a lot about love, yet I still wasn't sure how it was. Other stories I've read were about two completely different people falling in love yet some were soul mates meeting each other.

So how am I supposed to know if I'm in love? Do I have to go away for a month and see if I miss him terribly? Or do I have to get in a fight and see if I cry afterward?

But I don't do any of these things. Instead, I snuggle up closer to him and I feel his grip tighten on me. My heart starts beating faster and faster as my breath becomes shorter and softer. I blink a few times as I fiddle around with a fold in his tunic.

Taking a big breath, I lean back just enough so I can look him in the eye. His green depths are shining bright with tenderness and care and I make sure to stare right into them.

"Thank you, Jack," I breathe with warmth thick in my voice. "Thank you…for everything."

And then I lean my face towards his, not taking one second to question my actions. My heart beats extremely fast as I find my lips meet his. I soon happily close my eyes as I give him another kiss. I never felt this way before…as if I was flying. I want to go on, to tell him…but perhaps one thing at a time is the best way to do this.

So with reluctance but a small smile on my lips, I move back down and press my head under his. His arms tighten around me and pull me closer to him. I wrap my own arms around him and keep him to me.

My heart still beats extremely fast but I know I'm not alone because I can hear Jack's beating at the same pace, if not more.

And then I feel his soft lips on top of my head. My heart goes soaring again and I find that I can't breath once more.

"Anytime," he murmurs softly into my ear before placing his head on mine.

With these words I know my suspicions are true. I finally discover what it feels like to be in love.

Because that is how it is, I'm in love with Jack.

_Author's Note:_

_Yes!! Party! Finally Farore has realized she loves Jack! Seesh took her long enough._

_And not only that but she also kissed him! Oh yes! It's a dancing moment! (But I won't because I'm a terrible dancer.)_

_OK, so besides the happiness that she finally kissed him and all, we also got a family feud going on! Man, Din and Nayru can be HARSH!! How dare they make Farore cry!_

_But I guess we really don't mind, since Jack was there to save her and all ^_^. (By the way, I'm sure you're wondering why he was there but don't worry, it explains in the next chapter.)_

_And to top it all off, Nayru said something about "foul play?" Now what could that be about?_

_Thanks for reading! Please review!_

_~~Wave~~_


	14. Chapter 13 Confessions

Chapter Thirteen – Confessions

I hear a faint bumping sound from somewhere far off. Either that or I'm still not fully awake.

Half asleep, I take a big breath of air and breathe out contently. Why exactly? I'm not sure.

It takes me another minute or so before I finally blink my blurry eyes open, memories of the previous night rushing back to me. Looking past the haze in my vision, I see Jack fumbling around madly for something under the bed. He gets up and starts frantically searching again. It seems that he's running late for something, by the way he's running around. I know that if I was to wake up I'd probably only slow him down. So, knowing that what I was about to do wasn't exactly the greatest of choices, I close my eyes again and start breathing deeply and evenly, pretending to go back to sleep.

Even though I am acting as if I'm oblivious to his actions, I just can't help but watch. Using a magical ability called the Mind's Eye, I easily observe through my point of view as if my eyes were actually open. But in reality, they are still closed.

Sunlight streams through the window and shines on his golden hair and every time I get a chance to see the light dance across his bright green eyes, my heart does a little back flip.

I continue to watch with fascination and awe; secretly wishing I could wake up and greet him to another morning.

It isn't until he's done getting ready - dressed in his classic black tunic - does he turn his attention back to me.

A soft, warm smile spreads across his face as he looks deeply at me. I feel my heart quicken up again and heat rushing into my face. It's a miracle that I am still able to fake-sleep.

He silently walks closer to me, trying not to make a single sound, before stopping at my side and bending over by the bed.

I feel his hand gently stroke my cheek and shivers run up and down my spine. It takes all my might to keep my eyes shut and my breathing steady, though my breath still manages to quicken up ever so slightly.

I sense his face coming closer to mine and I soon feel his warm breath on me. He then bends his face up slightly and gives me a small peck on my forehead.

"I'll see you later, Farore," he whispers and then says with such kindness and warmth, it's hard for me to remain calm, "Be safe..." He slowly moves away from me while I pull away from my Mind's Eye so everything is back to normal and all I can see is the darkness of my eyelids.

I don't move a muscle until I hear the soft sound of the door gently closing. Immediately, I release a long held sigh. My eyes dreamily open up and I pull the light blue covers closer to me. Sometimes, things just feel so strange…so unreal. And if this is a dream, then I really don't want to wake up anytime soon.

A small smile goes across my face and I happily close my eyes again. I feel sleep crawling its way back up into me and I gladly let it take me away.

Another hour or so passes before I finally feel more refreshed and open my sleepy eyes again. I look out the window and see the sun is higher in the sky than before. It's bright rays outline the land down below in a beautiful yellow glow. I can't imagine the weather reflecting off of my sister's moods, so it must be my own.

I sit up in bed and lean against the headboard of the bed, letting out a small yawn as I do so. I'm a little disappointed that Jack had to leave, but I push the thought out of my head, knowing that it was mostly my fault anyway.

That's when I see a small, wrinkled piece of paper lying at the end of the bend. I see black squiggles across the page, probably writing, but I can't make it out. To do so, I reach across the bed and pick it up in my hand before resting back again in my previous position. I then begin the read the sloppy handwriting with a small bit of difficulty:

_Good Morning Farore,_

_If you're reading this then I'm probably gone. Don't worry though, I had to go to training and I didn't want to wake you so…I guess I'll see you later. Training ends early (at noon) because of the ball last night, so I'll come back then. You can stay in my room if you like or head on home, your choice. But if you do decide to stay then could you please try to keep your stay a…secret. You know, safety reasons._

_See you later,_

_Jack_

I playfully shake my head while stiffening a laugh as I read the secretive part. He must've been very worried that I was going to take it the wrong way, but I find that even more amusing.

Now the only problem is what I'm supposed to do with all of this extra time. There is no way that I'm going to go back home to Din and Nayru; I can't face them at the moment. I suppose it would be best to stay here with Jack but then I have to find something to occupy myself with.

Looking around the room, I sadly notice that everything is nice and tidy. This instantly knocks cleaning off of the list.

In the end, I decide to secretly watch Jack's training. But before I do anything else, I remove the white shirt I had worn for sleeping and create a brand new, light green dress out of thin air. It's nice and warm for the growing cold air outside.

Now dressed, I take a seat up in the bleachers and stare as he and Master Opal talk over something I can't hear from way up here. Being invisible is one thing, but eavesdropping would seem just a little too "stalkerish."

It seems like a lot of hard work, running around the track until five miles have been complete and doing a series of different styles of flips. Right now it appears to be torture, though I know that all of this will be important for the near future. And if it will save Jack's life, then I'll be just fine with it.

About an hour later, pages come into the barracks for their own practice time. Jack is now working with archery and I notice some of the pages looking over at him and whispering to one another. After listening to their little comments, I have found at that being a Hylian Spy is certainly a big deal, and judging by Jack's aim, he seems to be a good one.

I sit up there for a long while but I don't really mind. When you're in love like I am, everything seems to be worth it.

And so for the next hour or so, I just reflect on that. I never thought I could feel this way, but now that I do, I sure hope that it never goes away.

Once a long time of training has been finished, I watch as Jack heads off to a room branching off of the barracks. I know that it's a bathing room and so I sit back and wait for Jack to be finished. About five minutes later, Jack walks out all nice and clean. He eyes the pages as they practice fencing against each other while he walks in a big circle around them.

As he is making his way out the door, I realize that I better get back to the room. It wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't find me there, but it would be best to get back now.

With perfect ease and grace, I effortlessly warp myself to the inside of his room. Once there, I'm not entirely sure what I should be pretending to be doing. It's too late to be sleeping so that's out. After a moment of thinking, I simply sit on the windowsill and stare out at the world below. I notice some storm clouds far off in the distance and I know that it must be Nayru and Din. I bet they're getting annoyed with me being gone for so long.

A few minutes pass by before I hear the sound of a door creaking open behind me. I turn around and a big smile spreads across my face.

"Hello, Jack," I say happily as I gracefully bounce off of the sill and take a step towards him.

Jack closes the door and his goofy grin spreads across his face as he sees me. "Hey, Farore!" He replies in the same tone as mine.

"How was training?" I ask politely, secretly thankful to finally be talking to him in person.

"Fine," He shrugs with the smile still plastered on his face "same as yesterday. I hope nobody disturbed you while I was gone. Was everything OK?" He asks with concern thick in his voice.

"Yep, no one stopped by," I easily lie and a look of relief flushes his face.

"Good," he sighs and tosses his bag into the corner of the room. He stands there for a moment, staring at the pack and hiding his face as he does so. I gaze at him curiously, wondering what he's thinking right now. After a couple moments of dead silence, Jack takes a big breath and turns back around to face me.

"Hey, Farore," he begins in a bit of a nervous tone "do you want to go somewhere?"

I'm slightly taken aback by this for a moment but I quickly and effortlessly overcome it. "Sure, where would we be going?"

"There's this very nice spot across town, I thought you'd might like to see it," He says in a bit of a calmer tone, showing no emotion as before. However, I can see anxiety in his face with a hint of nervousness. His fingers fumble around with his shirt and I _know _something is up.

"Okay, lets go." I agree and start walking towards him.

"Wait," he says quickly once I am close to him "it's cold outside, take my cloak." He begins to untie his normal black cloak from around his neck but I quickly place my hand over his, stopping his movement. His green eyes remain fix on the ground for a moment before he brings them up and looks me in the eye. I see him swallow once and a hint of nervousness in his eyes. Wow, it is like everything I do sets him off!

"I'll be fine without a cloak," I say kindly and this is the truth. I won't be able to feel the cold, but once again, it's cute how Jack worries so much.

"No," he persists, "you're taking the cloak," at the end he tries to hold back a chuckle and I see the nerves floating away. This brings a smile to my face and I giggle back.

"Fine," I sigh dramatically. "I'll take your cloak." He just playfully rolls his eyes and gives a chuckle as he hands me his cloak. I take it and carefully wrap it around me. I am completely and fully aware of Jack's eyes starring deeply at me and I can feel the warmth from his cloak radiating off of it. I hold back a sigh and silently enjoy the last affects of his warmth.

"Ready now?" I tease him and he playfully ruffles around my green hair and says as he does so,

"OK, tree-hugger," I jokingly swat at his hands but he only continues to mess up my hair.

"Round eared!" I gasp between my laughter as I randomly hit at his hands. I hear his good-natured laugh and I can't help but join in even more.

"At least I don't have pointy ones!" He teases and runs to the door. I don't give him a second and latch onto his arm in the blink of an eye. He turns around and looks at me with a surprised and amused expression. I gaze back into his bright, lively green eyes with a smile on my face.

"You're not the only fast one, Newbie," I say much softer than I had intended too, fixed into his stare. I feel my heart flutter around again and my body growing stiff.

"Y-y-yeah…" he stutters uneasily. This suddenly reminds me of last night and how I still have to thank him…well, perhaps a little more properly.

So, echoing my thoughts, I begin to say in a soft and warm voice, "Thank you, Jack, for last night. I really owe you one."

Instantly at my words, his cheeks start burning the bright red color of tomato as he remembers the final moments. With a much more relaxed but enchanted voice, he whispers, "It's alright, Farore…really"

"No, Jack," I mumble with a bit of defiance in my voice, "it meant a lot to me, I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there."

My eyes fall down to where my hand is still holding onto his arm while I feel his tender gaze stare at my torn face. There's a long stretch of silence and we stay like that for a while, not moving a single muscle.

"Farore, I…" Jack starts to say but he suddenly stops for some strange reason. It sounds like his throat had tighten in on him and he can't say a word. Concerned, I move my head back up to check if he is all right but everything appears to be fine. However, his mouth is open like he wants to say more yet I see that he's still unable for some unknown reason.

After another quiet moment or two, he closes his mouth and slowly blinks a couple of times. "It's…it's OK, I'm just glad to see that you're safe," he says in a blank tone and I know he is trying to hide an emotion. I feel something lurch from inside of me and I just wish I could know what he's keeping to himself. How badly I wish I could hear the words he was going to say. Why? I do not know.

Carefully removing my hand away from his arm, I say his name in a bit of a normal tone, trying to bring things back to the usual atmosphere. "Jack, why were you even there in the first place?"

"That's an easy one," he answers with a small smile forming across his face and a bit of relief showing. "After all balls and major meetings, Master Opal, some guards, and I search the area for anyone who may look like an assassin. We also have to help anyone who may be lost or just need aid in general."

"Oh," I mutter, not knowing what else to say, "Well, that's a good idea."

"Yep," he replies, popping the "p" at the end. His eyes flick around the room but I notice how they never meet mine. I know he is trying to act like nothing had happened before though he is obviously having a hard time. Another short pause of silence stretches between us as I fiddle around with my hair, keeping my eyes to the floor. "I guess we should go now," Jack mumbles aloud, mostly to himself. "Before it gets dark and all."

"Yes," I breathe, "sounds good."

Jack only nods and turns around to open the door. He keeps it open for me and lets me walk outside like a well-trained gentleman. I forget a little bit about the nerves from before while a small giggle escapes from my lips.

Jack leads me threw the Market Place and into the woods, still never answering my question of where he is taking me.

I notice people starring at me every once and a while, probably wondering who in the world I was either by the green hair or the unnatural beauty. Though I always give a poor attempt to hold back a smile whenever Jack gets defensive. He will take a step closer to me or stare hard at the man gazing at me. I love how he always gets protective like that – freaking out whenever a sketchy person walks by. It isn't as if I'm complaining or anything, I just find it really cute.

And as we walk through the thick foliage, I constantly find myself admiring something else about Jack; how the sun shines across his face and makes the light dance in his eyes. Or how he offers his hand to help me walk off of a rock every time I'm supposed to go up or down.

We talk about a lot of stuff, mostly some interesting information Jack learned during his studies. At one point, I start quizzing him on how the people claimed the goddesses made the world. It wasn't one of my favorite topics to choose from but I figured that if I were ever going to tell him, some background information would be helpful.

Finally, after a large amount of walking had elapsed, Jack pushes back some branches and helps lead me out of the bracken and into the space before me.

He lets me have a little moment to myself as I stare at the simple scene. There is a small circle of just plain grass with trees leaning over the side as if an invisible fence is holding back their roots. The grass is overgrown with dandy lions and buttercups splotched randomly across the area. The most amazing thing is the small, stone bench off to the side. Vines circle up its legs and long blades of grass lick the edges of it. Exotic carvings are etched into the side and a few tiny leaves are softly lying on top of it.

"Oh, Jack," I whisper with awe and wonder filling up my voice. "It's beautiful."

I hear Jack take a step closer to me but I keep staring at the area around me. A small, pink butterfly flaps it's way across the space and into the opposite trees.

"That's why I though you would like it," he says in a tone that totally catches me off guard. It's soft and sweet but I sense something else behind it, something deeper.

With curiosity taking it's place in my eyes, I turn my head to look at him only to see a warm smile and an expression full of safety and kindness.

"Most people wouldn't care much about it, yet you think it's as amazing as anything else," he continues in that same, gentle tone. It isn't long before I'm staring at him with my mouth hanging open. His words seem so unreal for some reason, but I like them.

My heart suddenly starts flying in my chest as I feel his hand carefully slip into mine. I give a little gasp and he begins to gently guide me towards the stone bench. I slowly shuffle through the thick grass, all the while wondering what he is trying to say.

We reach the bench and he sits down on one side, still holding my hand. I cautiously follow his actions with a very confused and curious look on my face. A cold wind blows and sends shivers up my spine. It ruffles Jack's golden hair along with leaves that are still managing to cling onto trees.

The gust of air dies down and Jack continues to gaze at me with his same tender expression. However, I now see nervousness and fear start crossing his expression and I feel his thumb trace patterns across my smooth hand.

There's a moment of silence once again – me waiting patiently for what he has to say and him thinking it all over. It takes a full minute before he finally begins to speak.

"I-I know," he stammers, his eyes fixed on our hands and his cheeks reddening. I feel bad about how anxious and scared he sounds, as if he thinks I would hurt him or something.

Taking a big breath he says again, "I know we only meat recently but that feels like such a long time ago…and you've been really good to me during that time."

I find myself holding my breath and my eyes growing wide. What is he trying to get at...?

He just shakes his head, a flash of emotions flying across his face: kindness, fear, embarrassment, nervousness, and a small smile of how stupid he thinks he sounds. Though at this moment, nothing sounds stupid with me hanging on every single word he says.

"There are so many things I don't know about you," he breathes and brings his head up to look me in the eye. Some of his embarrassment had melted away and all that is left is tenderness and care in his voice and eyes. He says slowly yet surely, "but I don't care."

I can't move a muscle. I can't say anything. My throat feels like someone is clenching it and my heart hammers against my chest. The cold wind blows but I barely feel it. All I want is for Jack to go on and tell me what there is to tell me…please…

He looks at me for a moment, seeing if I have anything to say but my face is in total shock.

He swallows nervously, and knowing that I'm not going to say anything, continues with his confession.

"I-I've never really been in a…relationship," he blurts out the word as he stares at our interlocked hands. "But, I feel like I can share anything with you and that you'd never keep a secret from me."

The last part hurts hard – extremely hard. I have to control myself so I don't gasp or look away in sorrow. He had reminded me of my own intentions, to finally confess the secret I've been holding so long, but will I be too late?

Jack continues to trace patterns in my hands, his eyes still glued to them. I know he's bracing himself to say what's up next and right now it is practically killing me not knowing what it is.

With a shaky, scared breath, he brings his head back up and stares right into my eyes. His green ones shine with care and compassion, something that make me practically fall out of my seat.

"I don't know what it feels like," he whispers and I feel his warm breath against my face. "But, Farore…I like you…I like you a lot. I don't know what I'm supposed to do - if this is really the smartest thing."

And now I'm numb with utter shock as more words flow out of his mouth like he can't control it. "Perhaps one day I'll know…" he breathes in a very soft and gentle voice that sends my heart flying and my head buzzing. His eyes bore deep into mine and I see something that I thought I could never see directed at me – love.

"I just thought," he mumbles, his voice trailing off in the end. I see his head come closer to mine and I suddenly realize that I had been leaning to him as well. He attempts to finish what he is saying but each word becomes quieter and quieter while we get closer and closer. "I figured…you'd…want…to…" his voice dies at the end with our heads extremely close to each other. I feel his hot breath and the warmth practically radiating off of him. My heart tightens suddenly and a feeling of guilt floods its way into me.

This isn't the emotion I wanted, remorse the only thing on my mind. I now realize I can't do this; I can't hold this secret any longer. If I don't tell him now he might never forgive me, if he will already.

So, with a heart full of sorrow and reluctance, I yank my head away in the opposite direction. All the while I'm silently praying that Jack forgives me in the end.

I stare out in the distance, bracing myself for what I have to say next. I feel Jack's pained and confused gaze burning wholes in my back. I still sense him close to me and my heart feels like a humming bird locked in a cage.

There is the longest stretch of silence ever; the only noise the leaves rustling in the trees. I know Jack is probably completely at a loss for words and I'm exactly the same way.

Is this how it's like for other people in the real world? Was that story I read just a dumb little book about what everyone wishes for?

And here is my chance to have it, I was practically handed it, but I'm tossing it aside. I can't stand to keep it any longer; it's tearing me apart.

With a thrashing heart and a very weak voice, I slowly close my eyes and turn my head back around to face Jack.

"Jack," I begin in an extremely soft voice, "I'm a goddess."

_Author's Note:_

_So the chapter was pretty boring in the beginning but wasn't it worth it in the end? I mean, Jack practically confessed his love for Farore and she actually said the words aloud! Let's see Jack's reaction once he hears the truth of what Farore really is!_

_*Hides behind a giant shield* perhaps leaving a cliffhanger like that was a little risky, someone's bound to get annoyed, lol._

_Sorry if that whole "Mind's Eye" explanation in the beginning got anyone confused. I didn't really want to go into it so there isn't much of an explanation on that, sorry._

_Well, enjoy! Please review!_

_Thanks,_

_~~Wave~~_


	15. Chapter 14 Painful Truth

Chapter Fourteen – Painful Truth

"Huh?" Jack murmurs, confusion lighting up in his eyes. Even though, I still see pain from my rejection, but hopefully he will understand.

I let out a deep breath, bracing myself for what there is to come. I force myself to hold his puzzled gaze. "Jack," I say again in a firm tone "I am a goddess."

Jack's silent for a moment, taking this in. "Um…" he mumbles, "is this a kind of joke?"

"No, Jack," I shake my head with a very grave and serious expression, "this is no joke."

"Then it's a lie," he states simply, though I see a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"Why would I lie about it?" I question him and he just shakes his head as if pushing a crazy thought out of his mind.

"Gods and Goddesses aren't real, Farore," he answers in a very relaxed tone, acting like this was some kind of small talk. But once again, I see some of the previous pain dying away and doubt in his eyes.

"That isn't true Jack, there are gods and goddesses," I correct him in a much firmer tone than I intended to.

"It's just a myth-," he begins to say but I quickly cut him off,

"Then tell me, Jack," I start in a very desperate and saddened tone. It hurts when someone as close as him doesn't believe my words, I just have to make him see. "Do you think it is coincidence that my hair is green? If I'm not mistaken, Professor Ress had taught you that the goddess of courage has green hair. Not only that, but she has blue eyes and her name is Farore. Now what are they odds that I would look exactly like her, Jack?"

He doesn't say anything; his mouth is set in a tight line and he looks at me with an emotionless gaze. He is hanging on every word I say and I can practically see the thoughts and questions swimming around in his head. I know he is making the connections, but I don't think he wants to believe it.

After a moment of silence, I continue to try and make him believe. "Look, Jack," I whisper and stretch my hand out to the side. "I shall have the wind blow north," and at that moment a giant gust of wind blows from the south and towards the north. It ruffles the leaves and our hair blow in the wind. I notice Jack's eyes getting wider and his mouth falling open.

But this isn't enough; he needs to see more. I move my hand so my palm is facing the ground and I easily call upon my magic. In less than a second a green root sprouts from the ground and grows until it's up to me knee, all the while a yellow flower blooming from the top and leaves folding out of it.

I turn my attention back to Jack, placing my hand by my side. His mouth is hanging wide open as he stares at the fully-grown flower in complete shock.

Though I'm still not done yet, "Don't you remember how I healed you when you got hurt at the port? Could a normal sorceress do that? No, it's impossible to heal on another without putting strains on their body."

Jack only continues to stare in utter amazement at the flower but I can still see my words hitting him hard. I settle down a little, giving him a chance to take it all in.

Suddenly, Jack throws himself up and takes a few steps away. His back is to me and all I can tell is that his arms are crossed and he is in deep thought.

Another wind blows and our clothes flap along with it. As soon as it dies down the atmosphere goes back to being tense and anxious. I'm practically bouncing in my seat, dying to know what he will do.

His head twists to the side a little bit but I still can't see his face clearly. "So," he begins in such an emotionless voice that I can't detect anything, and that's saying something. "You're a goddess…"

"Yes," I say softly with a small nod of my head.

He's silent for a second but it doesn't last long, "You kept this from me…for so long…why?"

I take a big breath, bracing myself for his next reaction. So far, he's either in utter shock or trying to conceal another emotion. For all I know, it could be both.

"I wanted to tell you," I start off with a bit of a desperate tone. "Though it would be extremely dangerous. If anyone found out I was a goddess they could hurt me, I could be killed."

"So that's why you didn't tell me? Because you thought I would kill you?" He retorts, anger rising in his voice slightly.

"No!" I quickly blurt out though I soon find myself stumbling along for the right words. "I mean…you would need a magical item and…anything could happen. It was safer to keep it a secret…"

"I told you everything about me and you still didn't confess. Did you honestly think I would hurt you like that?" He questions me with a bit of sadness and confusion thickening up his tone. Under it all however, I sense a hint of anger again.

"I know…I should've told you," I mutter weakly, "it was just so dangerous…"

"And it wasn't dangerous to tell you that I used to be the _prince_ of Azmenak?" he suddenly snaps, spinning around to face me. I can only stare wide-eyed up at his furious green eyes. I find myself terrified of the anger being completely directed at me, and each word he says goes straight into my core. "They all think I'm dead, Farore! But if they found out that I wasn't my life would be at risk just as much as yours!"

"I-I," I stammer, unsure of what to say and completely taken aback by his statement.

His eyes suddenly grown wide and his mouth falls open. For a moment I think he is in shock again but it isn't long before the previous wrath comes flying back into his face. Except this time, it's more like pure rage than the small anger I've seen before.

His once soft green eyes narrow and he stares at me with hatred shining in them, something that tears my heart to shreds.

But I don't get a lot of time to think this all over because his words hiss out of his mouth like venom from a snake.

"You killed them, didn't you?" he growls dangerously. I look at him with fear and confusion, what is he talking about?

I pause for a moment, hacking my brain for anyone that might ring a bell but nothing chimes up. "Huh?" I finally say so quietly it is barely audible.

"You could've saved them, but you let them die! You're the goddess, you're supposed to keep people safe but you killed them!" He shouts at me and now all I see in his green eyes is fury and hatred.

"What are you talking about?" I say a little louder than before, I have to get him to listen to reason, though it's a little hard when I'm at a complete lost.

"My _family_, Farore! You killed them and left me alive just as some kind of torture!" He shouts again while taking a step closer. I put a hand up to my mouth and gasp. He thinks _I_ was the one who killed his family! Oh-no…

"Jack!" I cry, my voice full of desperation. Jumping out of my seat I look him straight in the eyes so he can get every bit of truth I have to give. "I would never do such a thing! That isn't -,"

But he doesn't let me finish because he quickly cuts me off with his own angry words,

"Then why aren't they here today, Farore?" He hisses "Where are they now? This whole time you have been playing around with me but I'm through with it!" He then takes a step away and shakes his head angrily. He places a hand on his forehead and mutters to himself in frustration, "I'm such an idiot…"

"Jack, that isn't what happened!" I yell again, practically imploring him to listen to me. "Your gods were the ones that did that to you! It wasn't me!"

"That's pathetic, Farore!" He suddenly snaps at me, glaring daggers into my eyes. "You are just trying to have some last minute fun! I bet you've been faking everything for so long!"

"Jack," I mutter weakly, my heart breaking with each word he says. "That isn't true…"

"But isn't that what gods and goddesses do all day? Hang around and laugh at all of us dumb humans? For all I know you could have used your stupid magic to make me feel the way I do!"

"Please," I mumble softly, my voice shaking as I try to hold back a sob. My heart is now torn in two and tears threaten to fall out of my moist eyes. Everything I feared happened, some stuff I didn't even imagine would but it still did. I place my hands over my heart as if I could somehow heal it back up. With a weak and shaking voice and my eyes becoming blurry with water, I say in an extremely small and distressed voice, "Please Jack…you must understand."

For a moment I see Jack's face look utterly heart broken. He stares at me with pain filled eyes, his previous anger gone now.

But it doesn't help for my eyes can only hold so much sorrow and I feel a tear start sliding down my cheek.

I don't want him to see me like this, his words doing so much damage. I close my eyes in a feeble attempt to wash away the tears but it fails miserably.

"I'm sorry – Jack," I whisper, chocking on his name while holding back a sob. "I'll never bother you again."

And with these words I spin around and charge towards the trees. To my little surprise, I find myself crying as I race through the bunches of trees. It was so painful to see all of his sorrow and pain directed at me, but I suppose it made sense, considering the fact that he thought I had killed his family.

Even that possibility hurts – the fact how he could think that I would do such a thing. Though it doesn't matter now because I'll never see him again.

Rain begins to pour down from the now cloudy and dark sky. Raindrops fly past the branches and fall upon me.

I keep going until I finally reach the outskirts of the Market Place. The area looks utterly empty and gloomy, nobody is outside and the buildings are dark. The downpour continues, drenching me until I'm completely soaked once more. The water trails down my face, blending in with my tears so it looks like I haven't been crying. My damp green hair clings to my head and my neck. I look down at the dripping cloak around me and I unwillingly remember better memories of Jack.

While I walk down one of the many alleyways of Hyrule, not really paying attention to where I'm going, I reflect over the previous days. Things just got so out of hand…everything went up and down. Perhaps now that I'm forced to go home forever, it will remain calm once again.

I release a sad sigh, my tears finally dying down. I pull up my hood to protect a small part of me from the on going rain, though it's not going to be much help.

I turn the corner and come to a long narrow passageway. About halfway there is another ally branching off of this one. Shadows make is look completely dark but I'm still able to make out a form leaning against its wall.

I pay little attention to this however and continue walking. As I get closer and closer to the person, I start silently begging that they won't address me, I don't feel like talking to people.

I gracefully walk past the large person, but when I think I'm in the clear, a low, tough voice sounds from behind me.

"And just where are you going, lady?" My first instinct is to stop and I instantly regret it. This guy probably thinks he's going to get lucky but he's in for one unpleasant surprise.

"Leave me alone," I mutter darkly and take a step to resume walking. I suddenly feel a surprisingly cold hand latch onto my arm and I give a small yelp.

Turning around, I glare at the dark figure. I still can't see him but I'm sure that he's nothing pretty.

"You shouldn't go so soon, it's dangerous down these streets," he smirks but I'm still not scared of this man.

"Let go of me," I hiss dangerously, still glaring at the person.

"I'm sorry," he mocks in a phony sympathetic tone, "but it doesn't look like you have much of an option."

"What do you-," I start to say before I cut myself off. Still holding my arm, the man steps out of the darkness and stands in front of me. The light isn't great in here though I am able to see him as plain as day.

The man is huge, much bigger than normal, and he is extremely muscular -which sets me off edge by a bit. However, I think that it's his attire that threatens me the most.

The man is clad in different styles of dark armor. Small, yellow spikes jut out of his shoulder plates and the top of his boots. A long sword is tied to his left leg and his flaming red hair matches his dark, crimson eyes. His eyes are not beautiful like Din but deadly and dangerous.

I thought I'd never see this man again; it was so long since the last time he had been in Hyrule.

"Ganondorf," I gasp and stare with big blue eyes and my mouth hanging open. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing much," he replies smugly "just hanging around, obtaining power." At these words his hand tightens on my arm and I feel my heart hammering in my chest.

"Something isn't right about you," I manage to say, hiding my fear with my courage. "You've changed since those ten years."

"Have I?" He chuckles menacingly with a wide smirk on his face and wickedness shining in his eyes. "I always wanted power, and trust me Farore, I still do."

I involuntary swallow and find myself getting more nervous and scarred by the second. All this talk about power really isn't giving me any good images.

"I thought you died," I comment randomly, trying to show him that I wasn't frightened of him, when to be truthful, I was.

He chuckles again with an amused look on his face, "Oh, I can assure you that I'm very much alive. That reminds me, say thank you to Din for me, her gift really helped me out." He then raises his right hand and a golden glow starts erupting from it. Even before it takes the shape of the triforce, I knew what it was.

After a moment of staring at it, fear begins to wrap itself around my heart as I remember the amazing power the Triforce of Power has. Though I don't have anything to worry about, I can still defeat him if things go bad.

"How foolish of you to think that I was kidnapped," he suddenly snickers, placing his hand down. I look up at him in surprise. It was one thing to be so rude to a goddess, but it was another to act like you were more superior than one.

"When in reality," he continues, "I had run away. Poor little Din couldn't imagine her chosen one to be lusting for power. It's a pity, you know, that she made such a bad choice to give the Triforce of Power to me, but who am I to complain?"

I now know Ganondorf wasn't who he used to be and there was obviously something terrible and dangerous forming in his mind. I narrow my eyes and pull out my courage once more; it was time to cut to the chase.

"What do you want, Ganondorf?" I growl threateningly, hoping to spear some fear into his heart.

Though my attempt looks pathetic in his eyes and he only laughs. His amusement quickly dies down and he looks down at me with a smug smile and an evil gleam in his eyes.

"Why, Farore," he says in that same phony sweet tone, "I would have thought you would know the thing I crave most..." he bends down closer and leans near my ear. I feel his uncomfortable and cold breath against me as he breathes, "The power of a god."

I gasp as he leans back away and looks down at me again. As I stare up at him with fearful eyes, I watch him reach under his shoulder plate and pull out a large bronze circle. He lets go of it and it swings back and forth in front of him for a moment before resting against his chest. The golden rope wrapped around the disc tells me that it's a necklace, but the exotic marking on the disc itself tells me that it is the Pendant.

Dread completely grips my heart as I realize the complete and utter danger I am in. For a god or goddess to see the Pedant is like a person seeing a knife pressed to their throat in the middle of a gorge with no one else but the enemy. The odds of remaining alive: very low.

The necklace he wears is called the Pendant; it is a magical item that allows a normal person the ability to have power over a god or goddess. When a god or goddess goes against the power of the pendant, it is as if they are mortal. Swords can cut our skin and flames can burn us. It is extremely dangerous because it is like giving the power of a god to the mortal. They have almost all the power of a goddess at their command. In spite of this, the wearer can only use the magic they have against the god or goddess they took it from. Also, the goddess is able to use magic on herself and anyone else…that is, unless the wearer of the Pendant allows them too.

Even though the Pendant can only hurt a goddess, and not totally kill them, it is still deadly. There is only one purpose for someone to get the Pendant: to kill a god.

And that is the most terrifying thing. This ritual can only happen when the goddess, like myself, is vulnerable. The only way to activate the Pendant is to stab fifty people in the heart with a silver blade and then burn them. The ashes of these people are then placed onto another silver blade. No doubt Ganondorf has his own ash covered blade hiding somewhere on him, and there is no denying the fact what he intends to do with it: stab me in the heart and steal my power.

So it is obvious why I am scarred to death. This must have been the foul play that Nayru had mentioned last night…if only I had listened…

Ganondorf's smug smile and the look of pure evil in his eyes is the thing that brings me back down into the present.

"What do you say, Farore?" He mocks me again, "are you up to some fun tonight?"

"No," I gasp quietly but then repeat myself in a much firmer and more determined tone, "No! Let me go!" I start struggling to get out of his hold, using my hand to push against him.

To my utter disappointment, I realize that my enhanced strength has died. It's like pushing against a brick wall with no hope at all to move it.

I hear Ganondorf chuckle for a moment before he suddenly grabs my other hand and hold them in front of me. I gasp again at how tight his grip is. It's so strong it feels like he could break them.

And that's when I feel the pain, something I never ever felt before. My wrists have this huge pressure crushing the bones inside. My heart starts beating faster and my breath becomes shorter and shallower. Why can't this pain just stop! It hurts so…so bad!

I find myself whimpering unwillingly and I can't stop. I never knew this could feel so brutal, so torturous.

"What's the matter, Farore?" Ganondorf taunts darkly "I thought you wanted to be like a normal person, someone who feels pain. Are you having second thoughts?"

How he knew about that, I have no idea. Though his grip tightens some more and I find myself gasping for breath. Would he ever stop? Would this only get worse?

As I finish thinking theses thoughts, I am suddenly thrown to the ground. I crash hard onto the cobble stone walkway and I give a loud shriek of pain. My head collides onto one of the stones and my vision gets blurry for a quick moment.

The previous tears I had begin to form again on my eyes. Except this time, it isn't because of sadness - it is because of pain.

I lie on my side, breathless and holding my hands close to me. My head is throbbing and it feels as if a brick was thrown at it. My fingers take turns gently rubbing my wrists but they still hurt nevertheless.

Ganondorf doesn't give me much time to worry about this for he's already taunting me again.

"You really are weak, Farore," he sneers at me from above, "you don't have a chance with me now." I scream again as he suddenly launches himself towards me and grabs me by the arms. I twist and struggle to try and wiggle out of his hold but pain is still throbbing in my head and hands. Not to mention, his grip is as tight as a snake.

"Let's go somewhere," he hisses, "how about the Temple of Time?"

A tear falls down my face but I force myself to pant out, "No…please…no."

Ganondorf just chuckles and spins me around. His hands take my sore wrists again and put them together behind my back. I let out a loud moan of pain as he holds them like cuffs.

"Come on, Farore," he threatens into my ear, "we've got a lot to cover tonight." With these words, he pushes against my back and I go stumbling forward. I don't even get the chance to think about running before he starts steering me harshly down the dark passage way.

With an empty heart and a pain filled body, I silently beg for Jack to be here. But this time, there is no young man falling from the sky to save me.

_Author's Note:_

_Let me first say that I'm so sorry for my terrible explanation for the pendant! I suck at explaining things; I can't even explain Go Fish!_

_This is what I wrote in my notes however, perhaps it will help you:_

_It is a magical item that allows a normal person the ability to have power over a god or goddess. The wearer can injure and use the magic of the goddess/god against them but no one else. The supreme being (a.k.a goddess or god) can still use magic on themselves and others but not the wearer of the pendant. If the wearer doesn't wish them to use any magic, then they can make it so. It is extremely dangerous because it is the only way to kill a SB!!! (Really doesn't kill them, just makes them vulnerable to the ritual. So SB can get beat up a lot but won't die without the ritual)_

_Sorry again for leaving anyone confused, hopefully it didn't take to much away from the chapter._

_That reminds me, I have to mention once again that the events in this story are all happening BEFORE Ocarina of Time takes place! Remember, BEFORE OCARINA OF TIME!_

_So hasn't so many people been wondering about why Din gave Ganondorf the Triforce of Power in the first place? Well, it goes into more detail in the next chapter._

_*Slams head on table* curses, Jack! Way to over react!!_

_Oh, and don't expect updates to come as fast as this one. Though I might start the next chapter tomorrow, since all I have is a basketball game. But once school starts up again, it might be hard._

_Sorry, I've talked enough._

_~~Wave~~_


	16. Chapter 15 Horror

_Author's Note:_

_I'd like to say thank you for everyone who is reviewing so far! I try to get back to each of you but if Fanfiction won't allow me then I might consider sending a message. But if fanfiction doesn't even allow me to click on your name (or I can't find it in search) then sorry, I really do try._

_I also like knowing that people are still reading my story (so I think o.O) because of all of the favorites and alerts this story has._

_OK, sorry to keep you waiting. Onward:_

Chapter Fifteen – Horror

It was rather sad really.

I mean, no one cried or anything but it was painful to watch. Nayru, Din, and I each have a special gift we are allowed to give; it is our Triforce piece.

When the child destined to bear the gift is born you just _know_ that he or she are the chosen one to take it. Din was the first one out of the three of us to find her successor. He was born amongst the Gerudos, destined to be king once he was older.

When Din had blessed Ganondorf as a child, we were all hoping that he would be able to settle the tension between Hyrule Castle and the Gerudos.

Though as time went on and Ganondorf was raised amongst the woman warriors, Nayru and I saw something dangerous in his heart.

A part of him always wanted more – more and more power. He was never pleased and took great satisfaction in revenge and the pain of others. It grew so bad that even Din was able to look past her pride at what the boy was becoming.

Ganondorf was seventeen when he disappeared. It was so strange, one minute he was there and the next moment he was gone.

My sisters and I went looking all across the country for him. After months of searching, we decided to ask other gods and goddesses if they had seen him.

However, the answer was no and Din had to accept the fact that her wielder was gone. She was never one to mope around and cry and so she took her rage out with a terrible storm. It did a lot of damage to the land, but luckily, everything was able to grow again.

We all figured that it was for the best since Ganondorf wasn't turning into what we had hopped for. But deep down inside of us we all knew there could another possible explanation for his disappearance. He had learned of and elite group of warriors that would have gladly trained him with his superior ability. The idea of him disobeying our orders and running off to them would be too horrifying.

Though we were all saddened by the turn of events. A goddess only gets one opportunity to give someone their Triforce piece, and how Ganondorf abused that power made me very worried for when I would have to send my gift to my chosen soul.

And as Ganondorf continues to practically drag me across town, I come to a harsh realization that our suspicions are true.

Rain maintains it's steady pace as thunder crackles the sky. Lightning strikes down constantly and illuminates the landscape in an electric blue for a quick second. The weather is reflecting my mood: determination, fear, sorrow, and perhaps more I am unaware of.

But out of my sisters and I, I am one of the best at remaining calm in a dangerous situation. My face is blank and smooth, no emotion shows in my eyes.

Ganondorf pushes me around the bend and I right away see the Temple of Time towering over the near by buildings. Dark clouds huddle around the top as if concealing it from the eyes of the Sacred Realm. With a bit of dread in my stomach, I know that this is where Ganondorf is taking me. No one ever goes up there, so it is predictable that his vile plan will run uninterrupted.

I'm shoved towards the temple, Ganondorf and I splashing through muggy puddles while stubbing my toes on loose stones. Unfortunately, not a soul is wondering outside - the place is completely deserted.

After a while of pushing and shoving, we finally reach the bottom of the steps leading up to the temple. I sense Ganondorf coming closer and, the moment he pushes me, I grab onto his hands in an attempt to drag him down with me. Though I suddenly fall face first onto the cold, wet steps and let out a small yelp of surprise and pain. I feel Ganondorf's amused and smug eyes staring at my drenched body as I slowly push myself up.

"Nice try, _girl_," he spits out, being sure that I heard how he addressed me. "But you can't hurt me, now that I have almost all of your power."

I don't say a word and keep my eyes locked on the ground. Before I can even think of making a run for it, his cold hands lock back onto my wrists and I gasp at the ache for a moment. He squeezes extremely hard until it's as bad as the previous pain I had gotten. I wiggle and squirm unwillingly, wincing under his unyielding grip. My heart starts speeding up and my breath begins to grow short. My wrists throb under his powerful hold and I start to wonder how long he will keep this up.

Though he never ceases his clench as he pulls me up the stairs, nowhere near careful while my feet constantly slip on the small puddles, almost making me fall three times.

We reach the damp grass as another roll of thunder sounds from ahead. It's extremely loud and rattles the entire market place. The tree and the gossip stones shake vigorously under the sound as I use all of my might to try and pull myself free of his numbing hands. To my surprise, he doesn't tighten his hold one bit but continues to pull me across the small lawn. My feet slide around as I persist to thrash, twisting and turning this way and that in a last attempt to break free and run.

Yet he only drags me across the area, not caring one bit about my endeavor. We come closer to the door and my efforts grow more desperate while I stare at the large doors with fearful eyes.

I try elbowing, kicking, and a few times biting him. Nothing slows the evil man down however. With my last bit of hope flickering out like a candle, he slams the door open with his foot, creating a loud boom as they hit the wall. I get one last try to pull myself away because I am suddenly thrown across the floor with immense speed. I crash on the ground with a large thud and pain sheers it's way up my arm. I let out a loud scream as my body continues to slide across the smooth ground until my back is suddenly slammed into something hard behind me. I give a cry once more and hold my head in my hands. I had smashed it on the same spot as before when I fell on that stone and the hurt comes shooting back in the blink of an eye. I unexpectedly feel something warm and sticky dripping through my fingers and I slowly pull them away in shock and horror.

My hands are covered in hot, bright red blood. Overwhelming anguish jabs into my head and my breath comes out harshly and short. Everything spins around for a moment as I just stare at the liquid sliding through my fingers. I have never seen my own blood and the sight sends me on a whirlwind of shock and dismay.

I carefully turn my head around and look at what I had crashed into. Straightaway, I recognize it as the altar in the middle of the room. My eyes swiftly catch onto the corner of the altar and, to my horror, I see a small bit of my blood splattered across it.

Ganondorf's arrogant and terrifying voice is the thing that brings me harshly back to reality. "What a pity, you got a little cut on your head."

I turn my head back around to face Ganondorf, my head still buzzing with the hit I took. To make matters worse, I now see a golden, transparent wall completely covering the doorway. I distinguish the wall as a special barrier designed to keep all magical beings, including me, to not be able to come in or out of the temple.

Ganondorf begins to walk towards me, each step echoing ominously throughout the building and vibrating against the wall. Outside, I hear the sound of crackling thunder and lightning smashing into the ground not too far off.

Trying my best to ignore the terrible torment, I push myself off the ground while using the altar for support. I watch as Ganondorf comes nearer by the second, my eyes in tiny slits as I glare my hatred and anger at him. By the smirk on his face, I bet he can see me eyeing the Pendant constantly.

"You really made it all too easy, Farore," he says in a calm manner, but I effortlessly detect the dangerous tone under his composed mask. He stops a few feet away from me and a dark smile makes its way onto his face. The sinister look on his face doesn't help calm my nerves.

He takes a small step closer to me and I immediately push myself as far back against the altar as possible.

"That is why," he growls in the most threatening and terrifying tone I ever heard in my life, "that I have decided to have some fun before I finish you off."

His hand whips out as fast as a snake and snatches mine. I let out a small gasp as he brings me closer to him.

"You never felt pain before, Farore," he growls in the same tone, his orange eyes alight with evil and malevolence. He then leans forward and whispers in my ear, his cold breath sending chills up my spine, "That is why I plan to show you what it is like to be mortal."

I suddenly feel a terrible and excruciating hurt slice across the palm of my hand and I scream as it burns like fire inside of me. My eyes shut tight and I yank my bloody hand back, holding it close to me. It stings relentlessly and I continue to cry out as my eyes begin to get watery with tears. Through my blurry vision, I'm able to see a small dagger lined with a fresh red liquid. Thunder rolls outside and a flash of blue light brighten the large windows lining the room.

Ganondorf's form glows for a moment from the lightning just as he brings his hand down across my face. I fall to my side with an ear-piercing scream, my wounded head throbbing worse than before.

As I lay on the floor in agonizing hurt, I realize that this beating might last for hours. While he has the pendant, I am powerless to whatever he may have in store for me.

I dreadfully notice his huge foot coming towards me and it nails me right in the stomach. I somehow still manage to scream as I roll across the ground before coming to rest a few yards away.

My vision goes hazy again and everything starts spinning. I lie on my side, the strong stench of blood filling up my nose and my hand never ceasing its awful sting. My eyes scrunch themselves closed as I curl up in a ball, clenching my wounded stomach.

"You have to admit," I hear Ganondorf's haughty voice coming from a few ways away. Nevertheless, it sends rattles through my body…or maybe that's just the damage I took.

"It really is a superior plan," he continues and I hear the smirk in his voice. I breathe heavily in and out while continuing to be forced to listen to his gloating, "though I never thought how easy it could be. Why in the world would a _goddess_ come down into the world for some _guy_? I mean, honestly Farore, even you could do better than that."

His words easily remind me of Jack…his bright green eyes and goofy smile…oh how I wish he could be here to save me from this suffering. But perhaps it's best that he isn't. That way, he'll be able to stay away from all of this trouble.

"But once I get rid of you," he goes back to his confident and ridiculing tone, "I'll be able to rule Hyrule. With the goddesses falling from your absence and your power under my control, nothing can possibly stop me."

I breathe heavily and I find the will to stand up and fight the torture inside of me. Even if one goddess is to be killed then the other ones will fall as well. I can't let my sisters pay the price for my actions. It isn't fare - they don't disserve that.

Clenching my teeth, I push myself up off of the ground as pain soars throughout my body like ink being spilled across a piece of paper, soaking and claiming everything in darkness.

I shakily come to my feet and glare with pure hatred at the vile man. Thunder and lightning sounds from outside while rage takes over me. Nobody shall hurt my sisters the way he plans to hurt me; I just have to find a way to defeat him.

Ganondorf's coal like eyes narrow and my stare and I see the earlier cockiness leave him. He begins to walk over to me, his footsteps booming throughout the place. But I don't stand around like a weak child, instead, I move backwards at just as quickly as him. He clenches his teeth together in frustration and continues to stomp towards me.

I keep backing up, my eyes still glued to his and my fists squeezed into tight fists. After a few more moments of walking, I abruptly feel hard, flat stone behind me and I rapidly realize that I've hit the wall.

A sinister smile forms on Ganondorf's lips and it sends my heart jumping in fear. I quickly try to fling myself to the side but the familiar, freezing hands grip my hurt wrists and pin me against the wall.

I look up into Ganondorf's cruel face and try lashing out with my feet to get him away. He must have used his newly found power to get to me so fast, but I can't give up yet.

Once again, my struggles are useless compared to his strength, and he effortlessly ignores it.

Lightning strikes the top of the building, sending it shaking and small bits of dust to fall from the ceiling. The crackle is immensely loud and I was hoping it would faze Ganondorf, though it looks like he doesn't notice it.

"Once I'm done with you," he hisses dangerously, "you won't be able to control the weather with your emotions, that will be _my _job."

Right after he says those words, I hear a small _zing_ above my head and I immediately look up to see what caused the noise. Dread grips my heart as I see a pair of iron locks hanging from the wall. Obviously Ganondorf zapped them there, and there is no doubt that they're intended for me.

I give a loud yelp of pain as my wounded hand is forced into one of the locks. It clicks on tightly to my wrist and I can't help but wince, surely they most be broken by now!

Following this, Ganondorf shoves the other one in the lock and now both of my wrists are aching again. My hands hang right above my head, keeping me bond to the wall and exposing my torso completely.

Ganondorf quickly raises his hand and brings it down in one swift motion. I am only able to gasp as tears well up in my eyes. With my cheek stinging and burning, my head falls to the side with my cheek stinging and burning at once. I feel my eyelids grow heavy for a moment but I somehow manage to hold them open a little bit longer.

That is, until I feel the edge of a cool object against my collarbone.

I look up at him fearfully, eyeing the silver blade as I do so.

"Don't worry," he sneers "this won't kill you without the ashes." And then the knife slowly cuts along my skin, tracing my collarbone.

I release a high pitch scream, louder than the thunder rolling in the distance. A single tear falls down my cheek as the blood pours out of my cut and drips over my body, staining my dress in streaks of red.

He continues to trace my bone and I never stop screaming, the agonizing hurt filling up my body until every single part of me is aching.

Finally, after what seemed to be a never-ending scream, does he remove the blade from me and holds in front of my face. My blood drips off of it and lands down on the ground with a splat.

"This will amount to nothing when you feel the pain about to come," He growls, all humor gone from his voice. I pant heavily, striving for each breath even though it hurts every time. My heart drums against my chest so hard that it might just break my ribs.

Despite my buzzing head, I'm still able to clearly see Ganondorf pull out a small, black sheath. He dips the bloody knife into the sheath, little bits of ash tumbling out as he does so.

"No," I whisper with fear completely taking over my voice, "No!" I scream louder as the knife slowly comes out of its holder, dark ashes sticking to it. I twist and wiggle with all of my might, hoping desperately for a way to escape before he is able to stab me.

Never have I felt such fear, such dread and pain in my whole life. And as the blade comes closer and closer, blood still managing to seep through the ashes and splashing against the marble ground, I quickly find my hopes diminishing inside of me before there is nothing left.

The tip of it rests right in front of my heart. I try to press myself further into the wall but I am unable to get away from the sharp dagger. I attempt a few struggles to the left and right but it just makes the knife get closer to cutting through flesh.

"This, Farore," Ganondorf bellows, triumph filling up his voice, "is what I have been wanting for so long. Ultimate power…"

He then pulls back the knife a bit, ready to drive into my heart. I squeeze my eyes tight, waiting for the immense pain to fill up my body until I won't even be able to scream.

But then, like an angel breaking through the dark storm clouds of the night, an oh-so familiar voice enters the room. It is strong yet furious, screaming loudly at the man about to end my life.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Everything in the room freezes, the only sound the pouring rain from outside. I slowly open my eyes to see Ganondorf turning around. At first I am utterly relieved that my life won't be finished quite yet with the dagger pointed away from me.

But then my eyes lock onto the person who had spoken and my heart soars like never before. For a second, I don't even feel the ache but it quickly comes back to me.

However, I continue to stare at him, taking in every single detail of the young man. The golden hue from the magical barrier from behind him outlines him in a kind of beautiful glow. His green eyes shine like emeralds as he glares with complete and utter hatred towards Ganondorf.

"Jack," I mutter to myself, tears filling up my eyes for just a bit. "You came…"


	17. Chapter 16 Spilling Blood

Chapter Sixteen – Spilling Blood

A bright blue flash of lightning illuminates the doorway for a quick second. Thunder booms overhead at the same time as rain continues to lash out on the temple. At first, Ganondorf looks surprised, but once the lightning is gone, it's full of amusement and malicious.

My stomach twists in knots while I hang from the wall, my entire body still burning with the pain I have received. Along with my torment, I have grown a new emotion: worry for Jack's life.

Ganondorf turns his back to me and stares at Jack. He slips his ash covered, silver blade into its sheath and I hold back a sigh of relief. "So _this_ is the guy you've been sneaking down to see?" He snickers and I can hear the smirk in his voice. "At least get some one more impressive if you're going to waste your time with a kid."

I don't respond, knowing I'll only cause trouble. I see Jack with an emotionless face, the rain still thrashing down at the ground behind him. He takes a few steps forward while his hands reach to his sides. The sound of metal scratching on metal quickly breaks through the sound of the storm and reaches my ears. Jack stops a few yards away from Ganondrof, two long, sharp swords in each hand.

Jack's face is grave and solemn, anger and hatred the only emotion shining in his eyes. Ganondorf, however, begins to laugh like he just heard a hilarious joke.

"You don't plan to _use _your little knives on me, do you?" He chuckles, amusement high in his voice. Jack keeps a straight face, his mouth in a hard line.

Ganondorf abruptly cuts off his laughing and stares hard at Jack, "Honestly, kid," he somewhat groans and I easily imagine him rolling his eyes. "I have the power of a god, and you have none. Do you really think you can defeat me-?"

"That isn't true!" I cry out, quickly ending his sentence. "He can't use my magic on you! Only on me-!"

"Shut up!" He snaps, spinning around angrily. With a wave of his hand, blue electricity comes shooting out of his hand and straight towards me. The light strikes me right in the stomach and I let out and ear piercing scream, new pain filling me up as the lightning dances around my body.

"Stop it!" I hear Jack cry out desperately, and the ache instantly subsides around me. My head falls limp as I pant, my hair dangling in front of my face and my eyes closed in exhaustion.

"Why?" Ganondorf begins in a cruel, mocking voice, much colder than his usual amused tone. "Do you honestly care about her? For all you know, she is using you."

I take a quick breath, finding the will power to raise my head and shout, "That isn't true!"

But I can't saw more because Ganondorf whirls around once more and glares daggers at me. He raises his hand, palm facing out and his face twisted into a highly irritated and dangerous look. "I thought I told you to shut up…" he growls as dread twirls its way around my heart. Oh dear Deus! Not again…

"I told you to stop it!" Jack yells at the top of his lungs, rage flashing across his face as he charges towards Ganondrof, swords at the ready.

Ganondorf swiftly turns back around and starts sprinting towards Jack, his long legs taking him across the floor much faster than the young man. He reaches him in a matter of seconds and lashes out his arm as fast as a snake. His hand wraps around Jack's neck and he instantly tosses him behind him like he is a piece of garbage. I watch in horror as Jack goes flying to the spot next to me. To my surprise, however, he twists in the air and manages to land on his feet as gracefully as a cat.

"Jack!" I start to say though I find myself stopping as I stare at what he is doing. He takes on of his swords in two hands, letting the other one fall, and slashes down at my hands!

I gasp and wait for immense hurt to come but instead I hear a loud cracking sound like a sword snapping in two. I immediately find myself plummeting to the ground and I collapse on my side, huffing again with the throbbing ache that follows.

I rapidly realize that I'm free from the wall, however the cuffs are still latched onto my hands.

Looking up, I see Jack bending down, grabbing his other sword as he does so, when a large arm suddenly seizes him by the shoulder and Jack is flung across the room once more. His scream breaks through the thunder as he painfully lands on his side.

"Jack!" I cry and throw myself up. I dash forward only to be pushed back by some invisible force. I fly backwards for a quick second before the back of my head crashes against the stonewall. I cry out, torture ringing through my head as I feel a few trails of blood slide down my neck. My eyes shut tight as I bring my hands behind my head and press down on the wound, desperately hoping that it will somehow heal my wound.

I somehow manage to open my eyes just a bit to see the same, golden, transparent wall lining a large area of space. It is the same one as the one blocking the exit! Inside the wall is Jack and Ganondorf, circling each other like two lions ready to fight over a piece of meat.

Unfortunately, I'm the meat being safely protected by the barrier but bound in by the walls of the Temple of Time.

If Jack wins, this meat will remain unharmed and healed, happy and content. However, if Ganondrof wins, then I'll be eaten and cooked before I can even count to ten.

I slowly push myself up, trying my best to focus on the two men in the "battle arena." I lean against the wall for support, my eyes getting a little watery with all of the throbbing and exhaustion my body is taking.

I stare out at the two, still circling each other. Jack's a good fighter, yes, but the odds of him defeating Ganondorf aren't so high. Ganondorf beating Jack? Now those are some high and terrible odds.

But there must be something I can do! I can't just stand here and watch Jack get beaten for my mistakes! Isn't there anyway to help. Ugh! If only Ganondorf didn't have that stupid Pendant!

At these thoughts, an idea sparks in my mind. I take a few, shaky steps towards the barrier in order for myself to be heard clearer. With a big breath, I yell at the top of my lungs, "Jack!" I scream, and though Jack keeps his eyes glued to Ganondorf, I can tell he hears me. "If you take away the pendant from around his neck then I'll be able to stop him! Quickly try to get rid of it!"

I now see a tiny nod from Jack as his hands tighten around his scimitars. Ganondorf bends his knees and his own grip becomes stronger. With these signs from them, I know the battle is about to begin.

They're both very still for a moment, glaring at each other and waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, Ganondorf starts charging towards Jack, his long legs giving him a boost of speed once more. As he nears Jack, he raises his sword high and rapidly brings it down.

Jack dodges this easily, sliding to the side with extreme grace and caution. Jack and I both know that Ganondorf was just testing Jack's skill with that easily avoidable move. Though he wastes no time and takes it to his advantage as he rolls on the ground, moving in a circle until he is right behind Ganondorf. He springs off the floor, scimitars ready to strike when a giant hand seems to appear out of nowhere and swats him away.

I give a small gasp of surprise, taken aback by how quick Ganondrof really is. Not to mention the fact that Jack is now hurtling through the air all over again. He's about to crash hard into the floor once more, but he flips his body and lands on the ground without so much as a thud.

I silently sigh in relief while noticing Ganondorf clench his teeth in annoyance. Obviously he'll have to use his sword instead of throwing him around if he wants to win.

But knowing Jack, I'm sure he has a few tricks up his sleeves.

And at that moment, as if a kind some kind of single, Jack pulls a knife out of his pocket and hurls it towards Ganondorf. It spins with extreme speed, so fast that it would pin any other foe in seconds.

Despite this, Ganondorf isn't going to give in that easily. I see his eyes glued to the knife, waiting for the perfect moment…and then he snaps his hand out and grabs the knife right out of the air.

"Darn it!" I mutter in frustration, stomping my foot. My irritation dissolves into hope as I see Jack only inches away from Ganondorf. While our enemy was so focused on catching the knife, he didn't see Jack sprinting towards him.

Jack puts his swords level to one another and instantly lashes out a horizontal strike. Leaning back just enough, the swords barely miss their target by less than an inch.

With the swords stretched out to the side, Ganondorf takes this moment to attack Jack's open torso. He pulls his fist back and then swiftly brings it down towards Jack's stomach. Jack doesn't have much time to react except to give a rushed attempt to spin to the side. Even though, Ganondorf's punch nails him right in the ribs and Jack crashes to the ground with a yelp of pain.

Nevertheless, Jack throws himself up, ignoring the throb coming from his side. Creating space between them, he hurriedly takes a few steps backwards, swords still at the ready.

Ganondorf isn't one of the most patient people in the world and doesn't like to ditty dawdle. So he charges at Jack again, his sword at an angle and ready to be brought down in a second.

Jack doesn't move - he just stands there as Ganondorf comes running at him. Fear starts crawling it's way into me as I watch in horror as Ganondorf's heavy blade comes hurtling at Jack. The moment it starts making its descent, he jumps backwards a tiny bit. The enemy's sword crashes into the ground with a loud _clank_, rattling my teeth! Jack leaps towards the exposed Ganondrof, swords sticking straight out like deadly claws.

The move looks perfect, as if nothing can stop it. But I scream in terror as Ganondrof somehow brings up his sword and cuts Jack right on his shoulder. He is flung to the side and lands on the floor in a heap. I hear him moan as he grabs his shoulder in agony. Blood begins to trickle through his fingers and slide down his arm.

A dark, sinister look crosses over Ganondorf's face while he walks towards the fallen Jack. A small bit of blood drips off of his sword, each drop slowly falling from the blade and landing on the ground with a splat. It eerily reminds me of when his blade had cut my own skin.

"Foolish child," he sneers, humor completely gone as if he is talking to a piece of trash. "Did you honestly think that you would have a chance to defeat me? How pathetic-,"

Ganondorf stops short though when Jack suddenly bends backwards, palms pressed against the ground, forming a back bend. He pushes himself up with his hands and does a back flip. He doesn't stop with just one, however, and continues to twirl away from Ganondorf until there is a good, safe distance between them.

"It's pathetic how you think that one small hit is going to stop me," Jack smirks, mocking his cocky foe. A small smile spreads across my face and I can't help but feel a bit of hope swim around in my head once again.

"No matter," Ganondorf shakes his head as if this means nothing, but he and I both know that Jack's agility could be a bit of a problem for him – not that I'm against it or anything. "You still cannot defeat me, you don't have the power."

"I know," Jack says in a bit of mysterious and dignified voice while nodding his head. Ganondorf and I look at him with puzzled expressions, _what is he going at_? "But I don't _need_ to kill you, I just have to take the Pendant away from you."

A look of frustration and annoyance crosses Ganondorf's face as his hand tightens on the hilt of his sword.

"Anybody can say that," he growls dangerously, "but do you have the guts and strength to actually do it?"

Jack bends his knees, getting in a stance and holding his scimitars at the ready.

"You stupid boy!" He spits out in the tone of a master would use to a servant. "You are willing to risk your life for that idiotic girl!" He throws his hand out, gesturing to me. I feel my heart jump a bit in my chest, wondering if I'll soon be part of this game of his as a hostage…or something worse.

Jack's lively green eyes land on me and I look at him with a mix of emotions and messages. I tell him I'm sorry, sorry for everything I did to him. And I tell him thank you – thank you for coming for me even after everything that happened. I'll help you every bit I can…

"Yes," Jack suddenly says in an emotionless tone, turning his attention back to Ganondorf. "that is exactly what I plan to do."

Ganondorf practically growls at Jack, furious that his taunts have no effect against my hero.

"If that is what you truly desire…" he hisses with malice and vile filling up his voice. "Then I suppose you deserve it fair and square…"

Ganondorf lets out an ear-piercing battle cry, louder than the thunder rattling the temple itself. He suddenly flies high into the air and I give a small gasp of surprise. Even though he can't use his magic on Jack, he still can use it on himself!

Ganondorf roars again as he comes plummeting back down to Earth. His feet land only inches away from Jack, a giant boom erupting from him. The impact shakes the ground and Jack goes falling backwards with a surprised yelp.

Ganondorf spins on his heels, his enraged face looking straight at Jack's startled one. Jack gives a quick attempt to get back up but the rival is quicker. He places a foot on top of Jack's stomach and presses hard on it. Jack's eyes grow huge as he starts gasping for air, struggling as each breath gets harder and harder.

I stare in pure terror as Ganondorf takes his sword and gently places the tip at Jack's right shoulder. He then presses down a tiny bit so it cut skin as blood collects around the tip. Jack shuts his eyes tight, groaning at the sting and burn from his small wound. The damage gets worse though as Ganondorf begins to slide the sword diagonally down his chest, just deep enough so it will hurt terribly, but not kill him…yet.

The scream erupting from Jack is heart breaking. Pain takes over his entire body and he continues to shriek with the torture given to him. The sword keeps going, right now just below his heart.

"Stop it!" I scream, tears welling up in my eyes. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" I repeat at the top of my lungs. "Can't you see it's hurting him!"

A smug smile crawls across his face as he lifts his sword away from Jack. He removes his foot from his stomach and kicks him in the side, sending my wounded hero rolling away.

My heart shatters into tiny pieces as I helplessly watch Jack clutch his stomach, groaning, wheezing, and letting out occasional cries of pain. I can only imagine the amount of ache and torture he must be feeling.

I feel a tear slide down my cheek and I choke back a sob. There must be something I can do besides sitting behind this stupid wall and watch as Jack cries out before me!

"Don't worry, Farore," Ganondorf's evil and smug voice reaches my ears. "I easily see how much it is hurting him."

I somehow manage to glare though my watery eyes. Ganondorf is facing me now, back towards the fallen Jack…wait a minute…

I see Jack slowly start pushing himself up, blood dripping from him and into a small pool below. As Jack gets one foot placed on the ground and his hand on only one of his scimitars, I realize what he plans to do.

"Fight me, Ganondorf!" I yell to him with courage and determination. "If you truly believe that you have the power of a god then just try and defeat me!"

Ganondorf instantly cracks up, unaware of the creeping Jack slowly making his way towards him. Seeing him sneak towards Ganondorf, I am reminded of a lone, homeless boy pick pocketing an arrogant and cocky man. I bet Jack is noticing this just as much as I am.

"Have you forgotten?" Ganondorf blurts out, trying to control his laughter. "That _I_ have _your_ power? You are now just a mere weakling, nowhere near my power!"

"Oh yeah?" I challenge, placing my hands on my hips and somehow not falling over from the ache throughout my body. "I'd like to see you try!"

"Very well, if that is-," though he doesn't get to finish as long sword stabs him in the back. Ganondorf lets out a loud grunt of pain as he desperately tries reaches behind him to try and grab a hold of the sword. Jack, however, isn't gloating in his success. He wraps his arms around Ganondorf's big body, the only way for him to reach his neck and grab the golden string connected to the Pendant. With one quick tug, he yanks the magical necklace off of Ganondorf's head and jumps backwards.

The moment the Pendant is removed from Ganondorf's body, I feel wonderful. I still have the terrible pain in my head, collarbone, and hand, but I feel strong. My magic runs it's way through my veins and the enhanced abilities that all gods and goddesses have jumps back into my system.

The golden walls disappear in a flash of light and I now feel completely in control over everything again - the power to change the world.

"No!" Ganondrof bellows so loud that it rattles the temple. "Give that back to me!" Jack starts sprinting towards me, Pendant out stretched as he does his best to hold it away.

Ganondorf starts sprinting towards him as I take a few quick steps myself. I silently curse inside of my mind, noting how fast Ganondorf is gaining on Jack.

A huge arm reaches out and grabs Jack by his wounded shoulder. He shrieks in pain for a moment as Ganondorf drags Jack to him, lust for power filling up in his eyes as he stares at the Pendant, wanting so much to gain the rule again.

I immediately point my finger at our foe. Magic surges inside of me as a small ball of blue light illuminates from the tip of my finger.

"This is for hurting Jack," I whisper to myself right before I release the mighty blast of magic, sending it straight to Ganondorf. It nails him right in the side, just as he was about to grab the Pendant. Ganondorf flies backwards, crashing into the wall. Jack lands a few feet away on his side, luckily not too hard.

"Farore!" Jack yells and hurls the cursed Pendant at me. I snatch it out of the air with the grace of a goddess and a small smile across my angel like face.

I turn my attention back to the fallen Ganondorf as he pushes himself up. His previous pride and arrogance is gone. A small glow starts radiating from his right hand and I know he is going to try to use his triforce piece.

"Face it, Ganondorf!" I scream with complete control and strength, "You can't escape from my power - the thing you'll crave most for the rest of your life!" At these words, I magically form a circular puddle under Ganondorf's feet. Black, purple, and dark red swims around each other like fish in a sea. Strange, ink like coils slither out of the puddle and starts to twist around Ganondorf's huge feet.

"That may be so," He screams at me as the swirling colors snake around his legs like vines to a tree. "But there shall always be one person you can never touch! You won't be able to control his actions or save him from his fate! He will mean so much to you but you'll be helpless to aid him during his times of strife!" The dark colors continue to slither up Ganondorf's body, wrapping around his torso and arms. I hang on to every word he says, what is he talking about?

"And trust me, Farore," Ganondorf hisses loudly as the vines twist around his neck. "He will experience so much torment and pain in his life, but you will never, ever be able to help him! Ever!" And with these last words the final bit of him is covered up in the coils. His entire body is wrapped up as if he is inside a cocoon. His words ring in my head, forcing me to ponder what he had been talking about.

But the thoughts soon leave my mind as I embrace the silence within the room. The storm has stopped outside, not a cloud in the sky as sunlight shines down upon the land once more. With my enhanced hearing, I listen to the distant sound of a bird chirping and a rabbit nibbling on grass.

But back inside the room, things aren't so happy looking. Large splotches of blood are left of where Ganondorf had disappeared to a place in the sacred realm called the Void. The Void is a magical place where my sisters and I place the worst people in the world; some would call it Hell.

My heart skips a beat as I see a huge puddle of Jack's blood lying on the floor like an eerie memory haunting me. His screams of torment sound in my head as I remember the blade cutting into his skin.

It's then that I see Jack. His hand is placed on the altar as he leans on it for support, panting and breathing heavily. Blood continues to slowly trickle down his chest and a newfound cut hovers above his right eyebrow.

"Jack," I whisper to myself. Despite the wounded state he is, I can only feel utter relief and happiness. The fact that he is alive is enough to put a smile on my face.

_Author's Note_

_Sorry once more for the small, semi-cliffhanger. Don't worry though; the next chapter will most likely come fairly quickly, considering my excitement._

_I tried really hard on this chapter; especially since action scenes aren't my greatest strengths._

_Some of you might be wondering how Jack could defeat Ganondorf without the Master Sword or any of that. Well, first off, he didn't actually kill Ganondorf, only took the Pendant away so Farore could send him to the Void. (Also known as Hell.) Plus, since this time is before Ganondorf and Link's fight, he isn't as good as he is once he battles it out with Link._

_Now the question is, how will Ganondorf be there to fight Link when he is in the void?_

_Well, that is why I have decided to create a sequel to Farore's Love! I can't end this story here and there is too much I still want to cover. I plan to talk about the beginning of the Great War in the next book. No, this isn't the last chapter but I figured I'd let you know._

_So, all in all, there shall be a Farore's Love 2! (I won't name it Farore's Love 2, I just haven't thought of a better name yet ^^;) I will let everyone know more details at the end of this story; hopefully people will like this story so much that they'll read the next one!_

_Sorry if this is a super long author's note, I'll stop now._

_~~Wave~~_


	18. Chapter 17 Wonderful

Chapter Seventeen – Wonderful

Jack and I stare at each other for a moment, taking each other in. He takes a small step forward, his hand barely touching the altar. I see the longing in his eyes, as if he wants to run to me and tell me something vitally important.

I find myself stepping towards him, wishing to go to him and hold him close. I want to thank him for saving me, for being there for me even after all of the secrets I kept from him.

He takes another tiny step with a cautious, yet wanting look lingering on his face. By now, I've had it with waiting. I dash from my spot and quickly run to him, ignoring the shrieking pain throughout my body.

I manage to see him take a few quick steps towards me before I throw my arms around his neck. The moment I wrap him in my hug, I feel his arms coil tightly around me. I am suddenly floating off the floor, Jack holding me up high. He then spins us in a circle, joyous smiles on our faces as I nuzzle my head into his neck. I hear him give a small chuckle and I join him with my singsong giggle. It's good to be alive.

Jack finally places me on the ground but I don't let go. My hands entwine themselves behind his neck, keeping me to him. His hands are placed on my hips as he looks down at me, a small smile on his face.

I notice his wound still emitting fresh blood and a frown forms on my face while I look at it with sadness. I'm surprised Jack isn't feeling any pain, or maybe he's hiding it too well.

With great care, I place my hand on his heart, right above his cut. I feel his heart beating slowly under my palm as his puzzled stare burns into my head. I ignore it however and focus on my power and his wounds. He took a lot of damage, but that should be no problem for a goddess.

In a matter of seconds, a small, light blue glow is shining from the edges of my hand. A moment later, his cut begins to fade away like a person in a dense fog. The blood disappears and skin somehow finds it's way in front of his damaged chest. I notice his shoulder also being healed, quicker than the main gash.

I feel myself get a little tired with all of my own pain, but right now I focus on finishing Jack. I think he needs it; he took more damage than me.

With one last pulse of magic, Jack's cut is now just a faded scar, one that somebody would think was from years ago.

He releases a big breath and closes his eyes. My hair dances across my face as his warm breath hits my face.

"That feels so much better…" he whispers, eyes still closed while he takes in the fact that there is no more pain.

I don't respond however. I only stare at my hand resting against his calm heart. I can't help but remember his anger, all the stuff he thought I had done…his misery and sense of betrayal burning in his eyes.

So how can we stand like this? Us being so close and acting like we were the best couple in the world. It can't be right.

"Jack," I begin in a small voice. I start to raise my head just a little, saying as I do so, "I-," but I can't go any further when my sentence is suddenly cut off by Jack's lips pressing hard against mine.

I'm completely taken aback from surprise and shock, especially when he wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly to him. I stare at him with giant blue eyes, but he can't see me since his eyes are gladly closed.

He pulls back for a quick second, taking a quick breath. I think he is going to stop but I'm easily proved wrong when he kisses me once more. This time, I can't help but close my eyes and lean into him. I happily kiss him back, fully enjoying this moment.

I find my hand sliding from his heart and to his neck, my other hand meeting up with it. They continue to move upwards until my fingers are entwined together with locks of his golden hair in-between them.

We have to pull away from a quick second, taking a breath (even though I never really need to breath, it just feels good.) before I crash my lips onto his again, continuing the kiss with a faster speed than before.

It feels slightly strange, yet wonderful all together. His lips move mine up and down and I gladly follow. My eyes remain closed with all of my focus on him.

Yet somewhere through my enchantment, I hear the distant sound of a familiar voice calling my name,

"Farore!" It yells in desperation. I ignore this right away and press Jack's head to mine, not wanting to go. He seems just fine to forget about the person and continues to kiss me passionately.

"Farore!" The voice screams again, closer than before. I wish it would just leave me alone; I don't want them to ruin this moment.

Now it's Jack's turn to keep me closer as one of his hands removes itself from my back and gently caresses my face. My heart speeds up and I try to control myself the best I can. His finger traces my jaw line, causing my face to get hot and I begin to blush a madly. Luckily, he continues to press his mouth hard onto mine, not being able to see my reaction.

"Farore!" Another person calls out and I abruptly remember who it is. Din and Nayru! They're looking for me! If they find Jack and I the way we are right now…oh-no!

I hear Din call my name one more time and I have to throw myself away from Jack. Right after I break our kiss, Din and Nayru fly through the door.

"Farore!" They both scream in unison as they sprint towards me with relieved and concerned looks on their faces, completely oblivious to my bright red face.

They practically throw themselves at me and embrace me in a big hug. I gladly hug them back, all the while peeking out of the corner of my eye at the awkward Jack standing to the side.

"We were so worried!" Nayru exclaims as she pulls back, Din following suit.

"What happened to you?" Din questions, eyeing my wounds with frightful eyes.

"Who did this?" Nayru inquires angrily, her eyes in narrow slits at the idea of someone hurting me the way they did. She finally notices Jack not standing too far away and points her finger at him. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"No!" I cry out quickly, jumping between Nayru and Jack. "It wasn't Jack, it was Ganondorf."

My sisters gasp in unison with horrified looks on their faces, Nayru's hand covering her mouth and I hear her whisper "Ganondorf" with fear.

"Oh, Farore!" Din exclaims sadly and with a look of pure guilt and sorrow on her face. "I'm _so_ sorry, it was all my fault! I should have never given Ganondorf my gift! What a mistake…"

"It's OK, Din." I say loudly before she can go on any further. I place my hand on her arm and smile, "you've said I'm sorry for the past ten years, trust me, your forgiven."

Din starts laughing; she was never really one to mope around, much to my liking.

"Wait," Nayru speculates aloud, mostly to herself. "If Ganondorf was the one who gave you those wounds…then that must mean he had the Pendant!"

I merely nod my head with their terrified stares burning into me.

"Oh-no!" Din mumbles to herself, a hand on her head as if she is trying to stop a headache. "Does he still have it?"

"Nope," Jack's voice suddenly pipes up and we spin around to face him. A small smile is on his face as he tries his best not to look too nervous around my sisters. He holds up the Pendant for all of us to see.

At the sight of Jack with the Pendant, my sisters start to quickly back away, scarred that Jack plans to use it on them.

A puzzled look crosses his face as he gazes with confusion at my sisters.

"Um…Jack?" I murmur to him, taking a step closer. "You might want to give that to me," I put my hand out, palm facing upwards. A small look of understanding flashes in his eyes and he gladly places the Pendant in my hand.

I sense Din and Nayru walking up from behind me, probably wanting to talk to Jack face to face.

"What are you even doing here?" Nayru questions, trying to sound superior and scary to him but her interest breaks through her voice.

Jack opens his mouth to answer except Din jumps in before he does.

"You didn't _save_ Farore, did you?" She eyes him suspiciously and no one knows what her reaction will be when Jack gives her answer.

"Um…I," he mumbles rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes!" I chirp in, taking the moment to try and win my sisters over, "he did save my life! He fought Ganondorf while I was forced to watch from afar. He was then able to grab the Pendant and toss it to me. After that, I shot Ganondorf and sent him to the void, all thanks to Jack."

It's silent for a quick moment as my words process through their minds. Luckily, Din is the first one to break the silence.

"Well then," she smirks at Jack and I see a hint of respect in her eyes, "I suppose that you aren't as bad as I thought you were."

"Um…" Jack murmurs with nervousness and a small hint of embarrassment in his eyes. Despite this though, he manages to chuckle and smile, "thanks I guess."

"I guess I owe you an apology," Nayru begins with a tiny smile on her face. "I never really took a great liking to you, sorry if I talked bad about you behind your back."

"Uh…" Jack trails off, having no idea what to say.

Nayru starts giggling at Jack's very confused face, "I was just joking with you," she teases, her smile now big and friendly, "thank you for saving my sister."

"Anytime," he chuckles with his goofy-grin. I try not to sigh in relief; thank goodness Jack can take joke!

"Please excuse us," Din begins in a somewhat amused tone, "but Nayru and I have to…go outside and talk privately. You two can stay here," Din grabs Nayru's hand and tries to pull her away.

Nayru plants her feet in the ground and glares at Din, "We don't have to talk about anything-,"

"Oh yes we do!" She interrupts and looks hard into Nayru's eyes. It doesn't take long for her to get the message.

"Oh yeah…" she pretends to go along with Din's little plan, "We do have to go outside to talk about something. We'll be back any minute, _any_ minute." She emphasizes the last part as Din leads her through the large doorway and around the corner.

A small smile traces my lips at their words, how cute that they would allow me alone time with Jack.

But suddenly, as if all of the damage and exhaustion caught up with me, the room starts spinning and I find it next to impossible to keep my eyes open, let alone stand.

I find my legs give out from under me and I start following forward.

I'm halfway to the ground when I feel strong arms wrap around my waist, holding me up. My eyes close unwillingly while the person straightens me out and turns my body around. They hold me to them and I lean into their embrace, happy to have some support.

"Are you OK, Farore?" Jack's concerned voice sounds in my ear. One of his hands move up and down my back in a soothing motion while my head lies under his.

"Just," I gasp, finding myself having difficulty breathing, "…exhausted," I sigh out the last word and snuggle closer into him "Are you hurt?" Jack asks - worry the only thing I hear.

I take a moment to check myself, and when I feel the painful burning throughout my body, I know my answer. I feel so frail and tired; I can barely talk, as the injury from my head seems to be pressing down on me.

"Y-yes," I mumble, "I'm not sure how, but…it hurts…"

Jack's quiet for a second and I feel him move a few strands of my hair around at the top of my head. "Farore!" He suddenly gasps with horror. "Your head! It's covered in blood!"

"I know," I whimper pressing myself closer to him. "That's what hurts the most."

"It looks bad," he whispers, mostly to himself. "Can you heal it?"

I am only able shake my head, not able to speak anymore. It's just exhaustion that is stopping me, hopefully he is picking up on the hint.

"Farore," Jack starts to say, his voice full of remorse and sorrow, "I'm so-,"

"Farore!" Nayru's playful voice cuts Jack off. I hear her and Din enter the room, but I'm too weak to move away from Jack's hold. My breathing gets shallow and shorter than normal while my heart starts to beat dangerously slow.

I hear hurried footsteps come rushing towards me before Din demands, "What happened?"

"She's really weak," Jack starts to answer, "there is a really bad injury on her head-,"

"Oh my goodness!" Nayru exclaims, "That looks terrible!"

"Quick!" Din barks as she gently places her hand on my head, "we need to heal her, then she will be strong and healthy again like her old self." It isn't long before I feel Nayru's hand carefully resting on my head as well.

"Hold her tight," she instructs Jack and I feel him give a quick nod.

The next few moments are like a wonderful blur. The pain disappears, and all I feel is the lightness of a cloud…or the last snowflake slowly falling towards the white blanket below. I feel stronger than ever before, like I can move freely without ever getting hurt. Hopefully, I won't have to endure the pain I have received.

I now know why Jack has to hold onto me. All of these glorious feelings send me a little on edge and I completely collapse into Jack, unable to support myself. He catches me easily, since I was already in his arms.

I feel his warmth radiating off of him and his scent in my nose. I don't try to pull myself up, just bask in his care.

My sisters finally have to remove their hands away from my hand, not that I need their magic anymore. It takes me a while before I feel sensation in my legs and arms again. After another few minutes, I'm able to wearily blink my eyes open only to find black cloth covering up my view. I twist my head away from Jack's chest and turn to look up into his eyes.

He stares back at me, a look of joy and relief to see I'm awake and well. His emerald eyes shine bright, light dancing around inside of them.

"Are you feeling better?" He questions, gazing into my eyes like nothing else in the world matters.

"Yes," I whisper, nodding my head a tiny bit. "Thank you."

"Farore," I hear Nayru's quiet voice come from behind me. I look over my shoulder, still clutching onto Jack. "We need to go now, it would be risky to stay here any longer."

"I'm sure it is fine," I state, really not wanting to leave Jack just yet.

"Nayru is right, Farore," Din reluctantly agrees. "We should be heading back to the Sacred Realm, you need your rest."

I dip my head in defeat. I know I won't be able to change their minds…but I don't want to be separated from Jack…

"I-I suppose," I start to say in a soft and sad voice, turning my attention back to Jack. "Then I'll see you later…" I slowly take a step backwards, my hands outstretched and holding onto his. I take another step and I let them slide out of my palms.

"Before you go," Jack suddenly pipes up, "May I at least have a piece of paper, a quill, and ink? If that isn't too much trouble."

"Sure," Nayru agrees, and with a puff of smoke, the materials appear in her hands. Din and I have puzzled expressions but Nayru seems to know what he is getting at. I sure don't.

She hands him the tools and he happily takes them, saying his thank yous.

Nayru then comes back to stand by Din and I. They stand close to me, each one lightly touching my shoulder. "Good-bye, Jack!" Nayru waves happily as tiny, golden sparkles begin to form around us.

"Bye!" Din calls out when our body begins to fade. I sadly watch him wave, his sad eyes glued to mine.

I smile warmly at him at the last moment before my body is completely taken away. I'll soon be back to the safe and quiet world of the Sacred Realm.

I let out a deep breath, the clean air filling my lungs. I feel joy and serenity lighten my heart as I gaze at the similar surroundings of my home. There is no place quite as beautiful and secure as the sacred realm right now.

My sisters help lead me inside of the castle and into one of the common areas (or our living room, we just have multiple ones.) I gratefully lie down on the couch, snuggling into the softest blanket of all of Hyrule - literally.

My eyes close themselves and I embrace the sensation of peace and quiet as I fall into a long, undisturbed sleep.

I let out a deep breath; enjoying the comfort I'm in as I wake up from my slumber. By how my mind is so alert, I would guess that I've slept for a while.

It is then that all the memories from before come crashing down on me. Pushing away the bad thoughts, I focus on the good ones. Closing my eyes again, I curl up in a ball and think back to that moment after Jack and I had "defeated" Ganondorf. I happily recall his kiss, how he held me tightly, even when my sisters were coming quickly. How soft his lips were…

So what did this mean? Has Jack forgiven me for lying to him or is it something else? Perhaps I am missing something.

"Farore?" A soft voice whispers from close by and I feel a hand gently skim my shoulder. "Are you awake?"

I shift around in my position before forcing my eyes open again. I gaze up into Din's friendly orange eyes. I reflect on how cold and terrifying Ganondorf's were, but I know I'm much safer under her gaze.

She smiles at me while reaching into one of her pockets. "You've got mail," she grins with delight and glee.

She holds out a neatly folded piece of parchment paper. Scribbled on it in black, messy handwriting with small blotches of ink dots, is my name:

_**Farore**_

I take the parchment carefully and lean back into the corner of the couch, the dark blue blanket still wrapped snuggly around me.

With great care, I gently unfold the paper until I'm starring at a whole page of the script.

I know who it is right away, and that just makes me dive into the letter faster.

_Farore,_

_I will never to be able to emphasize enough of how sorry I am. Everything I said wasn't true, I was just – I don't know – angry and furious. I wanted somebody to blame, and I took that out on you. It wasn't right of me - you never deserved that. I can say, "I'm sorry" for the next five years 5,000 times a day and that still won't be enough. I can understand if you never forgive me, it is reasonable._

_After you left the clearing in the woods, I had quickly realized that what I did was probably one of the biggest mistakes I'll ever make. I had gone running after you but I lost your trail once we reached the Market Place. I searched the area, having difficulty with the storm, when I heard a scream. I knew it was you so I started heading towards it._

_The Temple of Time certainly took a while to get too, especially since I had to take cover when lightning would strike near by. Luckily I didn't get hit._

_You screamed again and again, making me sprint to you. I finally arrived to see you hanging on the wall, a knife pointed towards your heart._

_It was painful to look at you. Your dress was mattered with blood and you look like you would collapse any moment. The hardest part was knowing that if I hadn't been such an idiot I could've kept you from ever feeling the pain you endured. Perhaps none of this would have happened._

_Somehow though, we managed to get out of there alive. Thank you, Farore, for saving me even when I had accused you of such an awful thing. I don't know how, but I…well, I somehow just knew that you didn't kill my family. Though I have a hunch that Nayru might have something to do with it?_

_After the events of today, I understand if you won't be able to come to…"earth" for a while, but if you feel adventurous anytime soon, then I'd like to ask you to come meet me tomorrow at the hilltop. Remember, it was the place where I asked you to come join me at the ball. At least let me see you one last time before you have to go away, so I can apologize in person. I'll have to make up for five years and 5,000 times that I need to say sorry. Will 100,000,000,000 times do?_

_We can meet after my lessons are done, don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret._

_You'll know when to come, since you're a goddess and all._

_I hope to see you (if not, I understand) tomorrow._

_Your very sorry friend,_

_Jack_

I finish reading and run my hand gently over the dried ink. I notice some spots where he pressed harder on the paper. These were mainly near when he was calling himself an idiot and saying how sorry he was.

My fingers cross over the part with his plan to say sorry to me more than a million times tomorrow. I give a small smile, wondering if he'll keep his word.

I'm not too surprised that he would think I wouldn't come back down to "earth" anytime soon, though I can't leave him now. Not after all that has happened…I'd miss him too much.

"May I ask what it says?" Din questions, grinning from ear to ear.

"He wants to meet me tomorrow," I tell her in an emotionless tone, trying to hide my excitement and longing. "I want to go."

Din and Nayru exchange worried glances from a brief moment. Nayru turns her attention to me, her eyes showing her ancient wisdom and understanding.

"It might be a little risky, but I think you should go if you truly desire to."

Sometimes Nayru acts like an average teenager - we all do, but every now and then there is this burst of wisdom and knowingness. She will remind me of an old woman giving a lecture to an arrogant grandchild. Right now, I'm not the arrogant child, just the one asking for permission.

"Nayru…Din," I address them with a quiet voice starring at the paper being held tightly in my hands. I take a big breath, bracing myself for whatever they may say next. I'll have to tell them sometime. "I love Jack."

The room is hushed, utterly quiet. Nobody breathes, nobody moves. I stare hard at the paper, vowing to myself not to be the one to break the silence.

"We know," Din's quiet voice breaks through the stillness.

My head snaps up and I look at her with my most shocked expression. "You know?"

"Of course," she shrugs with her bashful grin. "As if it wasn't obvious."

"Besides," Nayru adds on with her own light smile, "He's a good guy, sorry for being so hard on you last night."

I immediately remember our fight, how they practically tore me to pieces. I also recall the reason for the fight. I had wanted to tell Jack my secret; I never actually got their permission.

"I told him," I mumble quietly, no longer able to keep any more secrets from them. My eyes are glued to the ground, not wanting to see angry expressions.

Yet they never cease to amaze me, and with a playful tone, Nayru chirps, "We know." Din and Nayru instantly crack up at there own little joke.

I bring my head up again; looking at them with a humorous yet puzzled expression. "Do you know _everything_?"

"We're not called goddesses for nothing!" Din jests, causing all of us to start laughing hard.

I smile to myself, grateful for things to be getting better.

_Author's Note:_

_No, this isn't the last chapter; hopefully you were able to pick that up with the fact that Jack wants to meet Farore tomorrow. And the last chapter isn't the next one either; it will most likely be the one after the next one._

_Sorry about the bad ending, I got lazy, lol._

_Answer to Velk's question: well, I never really had Jack's sword in anyway tie with the Master Sword. I even made it two swords just to make the point more emphasized. I plan to talk a little bit about it in the next chapter with Farore and Jack. Though if you want to think of it like that, then go ahead! __J_

_Thanks for all of your reviews guys; they really put a smile on my face! ^_^ Who doesn't love getting feedback?_

_Thanks again,_

_~~Wave~~_


	19. Chapter 18 No More Lies

"_I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." –Roy Croft_

Chapter Eighteen – No More Lies

His hands are stuffed into his pockets as a harsh, cold wind rushes across the hilltop. His black cloak flaps with the gust while ruffling his hair. He doesn't seem to mind though, for his head is tilted back a bit as he stares up into the sky. There is sad look in his green eyes, yet I still manage to see flickers of hope and happiness. I'm not sure what he's thinking about, but I know that it is either his family or me.

I take a few steps towards him, silently enjoying the sight of him alive and well. I then decide to call out loud enough just so he can hear me, "Jack!" I shout.

He immediately spins around at the sound of his name. A huge smile spreads across his face and pure happiness lights up his eyes.

Suddenly, he starts sprinting towards me. All I can do is stare at him in puzzlement before he grabs my face in his hands and presses his forehead against mine. I don't even manage a small gasp before he starts mumbling a long chain of "sorrys."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry -,"

"Jack," I giggle, attempting to make him stop. But he closes his eyes, keeping his forehead pressed to mine as he continues without stopping,

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry-,"

"Jack-," I try again but he ignores me once more.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry-,"

"I forgive you!" I shout out desperately with a hint of humor.

"I'm sorry-,"

"If you say 'I'm sorry' one more time then I can never forgive you!" Although it is obvious I am joking, Jack doesn't seem to want to take any risks. He opens up his eyes again and shuts his mouth tight.

I'm slightly surprised by how close he is, especially since I see the green in his eyes so clearly and bright. The green is an amazingly bright emerald right along the center of his iris. The astonishing thing is that the rest of his iris still seems to have this green glow. Perhaps it is the light dancing around in them. I wonder if it is the sunshine or if they're always like that. Thinking back on it now, his eyes seem to be like this all the time, shining and lively.

I wrap my arms around his waist and hold myself to him. I press my own forehead against his and look deeply into his eyes. With the utmost sincerity and compassion, I breathe softly to him,

"I forgive you, it's all right."

A look of happiness crosses his face but I don't get much time to look at it. I gently press my lips against his, closing my eyes as I do so.

I feel his hands slide back a little so the tips of his fingers are entwined with my hair. As he kisses me back passionately, I know that we will soon forget our argument from before in a matter of minutes.

I reluctantly pull back a small bit, just enough so I can talk properly.

"Do you forgive me?" I can't help but ask. Jack looks down at me with a bit of a perplexed look on his face. It quickly changes into one of softness and lightheartedness.

"What is there to forgive?" He whispers in a soft voice, his nose softly against mine with his fingers still playing in my hair.

As much as I don't want to ruin this moment (in fact, I'd love to make it last forever) I force myself to risk it. "I lied to you. I'm a goddess…and…what do you-,"

"I shouldn't have been so hard on you," Jack instantly begins, a bit of remorse and sadness covering his loving expression. "After seeing what Ganondorf did to you, it only makes sense that you would try to hide it. I'm sorry."

"Let's just forget about it," I say softly with a small smile on my lips. "It never happened."

"Yes," Jack agrees happily, "But please know that I will never, _ever_ reveal your secret to anyone. It is safe with me."

"I'm happy to hear that," I grin, wrapping my arms tighter around his waist. "I bet my sisters are too."

"What is it like?" Jack begins, wonder and thoughtfulness filling up his voice, "What is it like to live in heaven? How is it there? Have you seen my parents?"

I see the hope and questions burning in his eyes but I can only smile, knowing it might take a while before he is fully satisfied.

"Well," I start with in a matter-of-fact tone, a smile sounding in my voice, "Our heaven is called the Sacred Realm. This is where my sisters and I live inside an enormous palace, larger than two Hyrule Castles!"

"Whoa," Jack marvels, imagining the size. He gently pulls his hands out of my hair and brings it down to meet mine. With great care, he leads me towards a lone tree standing proudly on the edge of the hilltop. A few leaves still desperately cling onto it as a chilling wind blows. It sends shivers throughout my body, causing me to snuggle close to Jack, sharing warmth.

"Is it just you and your sisters?" Jack asks curiously as he continues to lead me across the grassy hilltop.

"My sisters and I are the only ones who live in the palace, but all of the new lives live either the city, the borders, or anywhere else they like."

"What are 'new lives' and those other things you mentioned?" he questions once we finally reach the tree. Jack sits down, giving the tiniest of tugs for me to follow. I gracefully do so and sit down next to him. We lean back against its thick trunk as I continue my explanation.

"New lives are a more…appropriate term that we call the dead people," I start to answer. "There is this giant place that circles the main city like a protective barrier – hence the name, the borders. Out there are mountain peaks and oceans, forests and valleys. Anyone is allowed to live there in small towns or by themselves, however they want.

"Inside of the Borders is a gigantic city. The New Lives all live in here in peace. There is no hunger or violence, poverty or cruelty."

"Can the New Lives go onto Earth? Like as ghosts?" He asks again, hanging onto my every word.

"The New Lives can only go onto Earth if we let them, normally, we all decide that it is best for them to stay up in the Sacred Realm. However, if they truly wish to, then we let them go."

"So the New Lives are like in an after life?"

"Yep," I nod, smiling, "That is why we call them New Lives. It fits more properly.

"However, this 'new life' is a lot different than the old one. They can control almost anything they want about themselves. If they don't want to be hungry then they don't have to. If they don't want to get tired then they could stay up for as long as a week if they wanted to."

"Sounds like paradise," Jack grins, a slight tone of wistfulness in his voice.

"Some would say," I reply, "but many of them wish to be down with their loved ones. Various New Lives actually want to feel those normally feelings of hunger and thirst. But the thing they want the most is to not have to watch their family and friends from far off – they want to be back into existence. It's kind of sad actually," my smile falls into a frown as I think about some of the sorrow that those people still feel.

Jack's silent for a moment before he speaks again in a bit of a longing and hopeful tone, "So, have you seen my family? Do they watch over me?"

A pang of sorrow hits my heart. How I wish to tell him what he wants to hear, but I can't lie to him, not again.

"I'm sure they are, Jack," I try to say in a friendly voice but my cheerlessness shows in my tone, "However, I have never seen them. There are tons of gods and goddesses out there in the world-,"

"Wait," Jack cuts me short, "there are more than just you and your sisters?"

I nod a yes before going more into it, "For each land there is a god or goddess. The numbers of them vary. Some lands have twelve while others may have one. Each god or goddess live in their own private Sacred Realm. They may call it heaven or possibly, Cloud Nine. I actually heard of a group of gods and goddesses calling it the Underworld."

"That doesn't sound all too pleasant," Jack remarks, a hint of humor in his eyes.

"Yes," I agree with a small giggle, "though it is actually rather interesting.

"Anyways," I start back up again, "Those gods and goddesses of that certain land take care of all of its people and animals. Whenever these things die, they go up to their own heaven. Your family is of Azmenak blood, so they went to the Azmenak heaven. People of Hylian blood go to the Sacred Realm, simple as that."

"So," Jack begins inquire, "If I was to die I would go to the Azmenak heaven instead of the Sacred Realm?"

"Um…" I mumble, that thought never really crossing my mind before, "yeah, I guess so."

"Do gods and goddesses control people every single moment of every single day or _every_ single second?" Jack asks as I try to hide a smile, he certainly has a lot of questions.

"There isn't one god or goddess out there that controls _everyone_ at once. My sister Nayru has these two groups she made up, Doves and Vultures."

Noticing Jack's puzzled expression, I quickly go on, "Nayru calls us Doves because we want the best for our land and people. We only control somebody whenever completely necessary. This means that we give our people more freedom than the Vultures."

"I'm guessing the Vultures aren't that great," Jack remarks.

"Vultures are gods and goddesses who take great pleasure in toying with their people's lives. They laugh and ridicule the humans, or 'mortals,' down below. Most of the time it's of some of the things the people do, when in reality, it is the gods causing the people to do so. They don't show much mercy and tend to make people have a lot of strange twists and turns in their life."

"What of the Azmenak gods or goddesses? Who are they?"

I'm silent for a moment as I ponder this. I rack my brain, knowing that I must have met them before, considering the fact that we sometimes trade with them.

Finally, after a few seconds of thinking, I grab them out of the depths of my mind.

"Ah, yes," I say with an air of success. "Azmenak is ruled by three gods. Lord Jaro, Lord Ora, and Lord Amador. They take great pride in themselves and make sure that their people refer to them as that, as you must know."

Jack nods as he looks in the distance, probably reflecting on all of the stories he's heard. "Yes," he answers, "I've heard of them."

"The strange thing is that Lord Ora acts as their leader, or as I should say, is their leader. His brothers, Jaro and Amador only speak when acknowledged or when Ora tells them too."

"Then that means…" Jack trails off for a moment and I look at him curiously. There is a hard look in his eyes as he gazes at the horizon line. His mouth is in a tight line and a frown is on his lips. "They were the ones who killed my family?"

I dip my head sadly, readying for the worst part, "I'm sorry, Jack, but your gods aren't exactly what some would call good. Nayru considers them as Vultures."

"Those sons of a-!" He begins to growl dangerously but trails off at the end. Even though, I still see the anger and sense of betrayal in his eyes. I feel a pained look go across my face as I gently rest my hand on his shoulder. He turns his gaze upon me, softening it up so the fury isn't directed towards me.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. We aren't very close to them, so I don't know much more. I'm sorry…" I say again, dipping my head once more. I hate giving bad news; it always makes it feel like it is my fault.

But suddenly, Jack's arms wrap themselves around me and hold me in a tight embrace. I look up at him and see his eyes with kindness and softness towards me.

"It's OK, it wasn't your fault," and with that, he gently kisses the top of my head. I can't help but let a small smile slide its way across my face before I snuggle into Jack's hold. I rest my head on his shoulder while we lean back against the tree. I'm grateful for the fact that he is now taking the cold wind, yet a little guilty of it too.

"So does that mean that gods and goddesses have ultimate power?" Jack has to ask, I know he's been dying to for a while. Not out of the thought that he would want to obtain this power, but pure curiosity.

"In a way, yes. However, we have certain…" I stop for a moment, searching for the right word, "limitations."

"Limitations?" he echoes, "like what?"

And so I explain to him all about the Sacred Code and the most important rules.

1) Never go near the humans.

2) Never tell a human who you truly are.

3) Only give your gifts to those who you feel worthy.

4) Never grow a relationship between a human.

5) NEVER meddle with another god's or goddess's human, can cause serious conflict.

"Wait," Jack suddenly cuts me off. "I don't understand that last one."

"Well, a lot of gods and goddesses think of humans as property," I explain, "Like any kind of 'property' nobody likes others to go strolling on it freely. I cannot control you like the way I can do to other Hylians because you, in harsher terms, belong to the Azmenak gods. It is slightly risky to be around with you so much but…" I trail off at the end, debating the fact if I should go on or not. Coming to the conclusion that I've broken enough rules already, it wouldn't hurt.

"I don't think I really care," I close my eyes and snuggle into Jack's shoulder, grateful once more for his warmth and care.

We stay like that for a few moments. I don't know what Jack is doing but I feel him try not to move too much, a sign that he wants me to stay close and comfortable.

It feels like a long time before another question pops into his head. He doesn't hesitate a second to ask, "Remember, right before Ganondorf 'died,' he had said something. Something like 'there shall always be one person you can never touch'…or maybe it was control…what do you think he meant by that?"

I open my eyes and gaze out into the distance. What had he meant by that? Does it even matter? Was Ganondorf capable of placing a "curse" on me? If so, then who?

"I-I," I stammer, unsure if he'll be satisfied with my answer, "I have no idea…"

"Perhaps he means me," Jack throws his first idea out there. "You can't control me."

"Yes, but I could never truly control you. It would most likely be a Hylian but I can't think of anyone." I mumbled mostly to myself. I'm starting to get slightly annoyed with having no answer to my question.

"He said someone close and dear to you," Jack quotes, trying to help us out, "and that he'll go through a lot of torture and pain…who could that be though?"

I sigh in defeat, having not one ounce of a clue. "I have no idea."

"It doesn't matter right now," Jack says reassuringly into my ear. "You're safe now, that is all that matters."

A small smile graces my lips as I contently close my eyes. I feel him run a hand through my hair and his lips gently put a kiss on my forehead.

"You do realize that you kissed a goddess?" I joke with him, my eyes still closed but a big grin on my face.

Jack starts cracking up but his laughter quickly dies as the though suddenly strikes him hard.

"Oh my gosh!" He exclaims, "I'm in love with a goddess!"

For a quick second it is silent and my eyes fly open with his words. "What?" The word blurts out as I turn my head around to look at him.

His face is the brightest red I've ever seen. He casts his eyes down to the ground, too embarrassed to even look at me.

"I-I…um…I-," he stutters, his voice nervous and shaking. "You know…" he mumbles at the end, his eyes burning holes into the frozen grass.

My heart can't help but fill itself with joy and hope. The fact that he could possibly feel the same way sends confidence and happiness throughout my body. I lean forward and give him a quick kiss on his lips. It doesn't last long before I lean back and stare up into his shocked yet anxious eyes.

"I love you," I say softly, my nose gently skimming his. Now I know why Jack was so freaked out before. My heart pounds in my chest and it takes all of my strength to hold back a blush and hold his stunned stare.

Somehow, Jack manages to raise his hand and, with great care, places it on my cheek.

"I love you too," Inside of me I could be doing a million different things, a happy dance, a cry of victory, or just smiling like an idiot. I chose the third option.

A grin spreads across my face and even I can't make it go away. I quickly notice Jack's own goofy grin and his eyes full of bliss and excitement. It isn't long before he's kissing me again, this time with a new air of confidence and thrill. I lean close into him, happily kissing him back. My hands slide up to his neck as his wrap around my back. My heart drums a bit against my chest, but I don't really mind.

How long we did this for, I'm unsure of, but when I suddenly feel the temperature become colder than normal, I know something is up.

It's when a tiny, drop like sensation falls against my arm do I finally pull away from Jack. I twist my head down and stare at the spot on my arm in wonder and amazement. A little white drop rests near my elbow, slowly melting away.

"What's wrong?" I hear Jack ask me with concern but I ignore him. Instead, I look out at the area around us, only to be struck by awe.

Little, white dots slowly fall towards the ground, twisting and twirling through the air as they do so. They gently come to a stop once they hit the stiff grass. I tilt my head back and stare up at the sky in wonder. I had never noticed the sky being completely covered in soft, gray clouds. The white specks seem to appear out of nowhere, as if it jumped off of a cloud. They continue to gracefully fall towards the ground, getting faster and faster as they do so. They collect my arms, shoulders, and my head – not melting away as fast as before.

Somewhere though all of my amazement, I hear Jack chuckle, "It's snowing."

I place my hands out, palms up, and watch the snowflakes softly fall onto my outstretched hands. I stare at the white fluff, excited and hypnotized by their beauty.

"Snow," I echo Jack, "It's…it's beautiful."

"Have you never seen snow before?" Jack questions and I hear the shock in his voice.

"Never up close," I answer, still mesmerized by the snowflakes lying on everything in view. The tops of the tree's limbs have snow gathering together and the grass is now turning into a white hue.

"It's certainly coming fast," He remarks and I finally turn to face him, a big grin on my face. We are still sitting close to each other, our shoulders barely touching, and I find myself enjoying his presence more and more.

"Before you know it there will be enough snow for a snowball." I smirk at him, playfulness in my eyes. He shoots me a confused look but it quickly turns to mischief and humor.

"Sorry to rain on your parade but I am the master of snowballs," he exclaims jokingly.

"How are _you_ the master of snowballs?" I tease him, a sly smirk on my face.

"Because I get first hit," he retorts right before he scoops up a pile of snow behind him and slams it on top of my head.

I give a small yelp of surprise but I'm quickly cut off by the numbness of the snow. Some of it slides down my back, sending shivers up my spine while the other part of it sticks to my head, dampening my hair.

"You are so dead," I grin evilly. Jack barely gets enough time to get up and start running before I'm chucking a snowball at his back.

He makes a dramatic fall to the ground, faking groans and mumbling, "I've been hit!" in a joking tone.

I stand over him proudly, my hands on my hips and a playful smile on my face.

"Sorry master of snowballs but I think I beat you."

Jack starts laughing, an impish gleam in his eyes. I know he's up to something but I don't get enough time to contemplate it. His hand latches onto my arm and gives a hard tug. I collapse to the ground next to him, letting out a lighthearted yelp. I land on my back as chills immediately run up my spine. The snow seems to suck out all of my body heat and sends me goose bumps.

I merely laugh with Jack lying next to me. Completely oblivious to my real intentions, Jack joins in my laughter as I secretly clench a ball of snow in my hand. Twisting on my side, I slam the snow into his face. Immediately, I throw myself off of the ground, knowing he'll be after me in a matter of seconds.

And with this, we begin to chase each other around, chucking snowballs at each other until we're drenched in the white fluff.

- - - - - -

NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!!


	20. Chapter 19 Peace

"Seasons are changing and waves are crashing

And stars are falling all for us

Days grow longer and nights grow shorter

I can show you I'll be the one."

-_Your Guardian Angel_, Red Jump Suit Apparatus

Chapter Nineteen – Peace

I had thought things would be awkward between Jack and I, but I was very wrong.

It was actually a relief to be able to try not to impress him all of the time, even though I occasionally did so. When we were around each other we acted as if we had been friends for life, not just a month.

When I had met him it felt like ages ago. I remember how those thugs were harassing me, and how Jack had fallen out of the sky to save me. Back then I had thought that those bandits were our biggest problems. Now I know that they were only a silly thing to get Jack and I to meet.

I'm not sure I believe in destiny. No, that came out wrong. I do believe in destiny, just not for myself. _I'm_ the one who causes destiny, so how am I supposed to have a fate of my own? What if Jack was never supposed to come to the port, what would his life be like now?

My thoughts diminish however once I see Jack's white smile and happy eyes gazing towards me. I grin back at him and quicken my pace. He had told me to meet him here, outside of the palace walls and in Hyrule field. Next to him is a strong, chestnut brown mustang. Its head is bent to the ground as it chops at the last bit of grass. Piles of snow are blotted randomly across the field and hangs limply on the trees. I tighten my cloak around me, attempting to keep myself warm.

"Hey," I chirp once I finally reach him. "Having a nice holiday?"

Jack grins at me and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into a small hug. By his beaming smile and hopeful eyes, I can tell he had missed me.

I would've found this amusing since it had been less than twelve hours, however, I had missed him too.

I place my hands on his shoulders and stare deeply into his eyes. A chilling wind tousles our hair as he bends over and gives me a soft kiss on my forehead, "Merry Christmas," he whispers softly, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Merry Christmas," I breathe back, slightly mesmerized by his actions.

"I got you a present," He says joyfully but with a hint of secrecy in his voice.

"What is it?" I ask, smiling playfully up at him. He looks back at me with a mischievous smile and a lively glint in his eyes. He removes his hands from my waist and reaches into his pocket. I watch his hand pull out a dark blue handkerchief.

I look at it with puzzlement as he brings it up to my face.

"What are you doing?" I ask suspiciously, a little reluctant to let him tie it around my head. However, I let him do this anyways without any struggle on my part. The cloth covers my eyes and now all I can see is the blue fabric.

"Don't worry," he reassures me in a lighthearted tone, "I'm going to surprise you."

"Okay…" I say slowly as he gently takes my hand. I let him lead me to wherever he may take me. I hear the sound of the horse neighing and, before I know it, I feel Jack's arms around me and throwing me on top of the horse. I give a surprised yelp and instinctively grip onto the saddle for support.

A moment later I feel Jack get on behind me, shifting the saddle as he does so. His arms reach around me and grab hold of the reins.

"Do you want the stirrups?" He asks me as he adjusts the girth.

"Nah, I'm OK," I respond while leaning back into him, resting my head on his shoulder. I figured that if I was going to be blindfolded and dragged somewhere, I might as well relax.

"Are you sure," he persists, though I can still hear a hint of happiness at how close I am. "He can be a little wild sometimes."

"Trust me," I grin up at him, even though he's out of my sight, "horses tend to be calmer around me."

Jack gives a small chuckle before urging the horse forward. Little to my surprise (but a lot to Jack's) the horse starts trotting right away, nice and smoothly.

"Wow," he remarks, "that's the best I've ever seen him."

"So where are we going?" I can't help but ask curiously, ignoring his comment for the time being.

"That's the surprise," he whispers into my ear with a phony mysterious tone.

"Alright," I dramatically sigh, "take me wherever you wish."

"Um, Farore?" Jack begins a little uneasily. Because things are normally very calm between us, it makes me wonder what is on his mind that is throwing him off.

"Yes?" I respond politely, turning my head to look up at him, despite the fact that I'm still blinded by blue.

"Well, the place we're going is kind of far," he explains with an air of worry, "do you think you could make the horse go faster or something? If not, it might take a few days."

I let out a small giggle, silently calling myself silly for not knowing that this would come by his cautious tone. Jack's always nervous whenever he talks about my magic or asks me for anything. I keep telling him it's all right, though he continues to be tense. I don't mind that much; it's kind of cute.

"Certainly," I agree with a friendly smile, "we'll seem to be going a normal pace but, in reality, be going forty miles per hour."

"Forty miles per hour?" Jack gasps, completely at a loss, "That's insanely fast!"

I give a big yawn and snuggle closer to him. "Then we should be there before you know it," I say teasingly.

Jack lets the comment pass and urges the horse to go into a steady canter. I hear the sound of its hooves breaking through some slush as it joins onto the pathway. The cold air bites at my face, causing me to through up my hood to keep me a bit warmer.

Jack and I talked a lot during the ride, mostly about silly things. I tell him about how Nayru has finally discovered how to control electricity. She recently created something called a "light bulb." Not once did we mention Ganondorf, or those events only a few weeks ago. A lot has changed since then.

I've changed.

Somehow, I feel older – perhaps wiser. It's like I have this new knowledge and understanding of what the people of Hyrule feel like. It explains so many of their actions and why they do such crazy stunts for the ones they care about.

I'm not saying jumping out a window because there is a spider on your foot is something I respect and comprehend, but maybe now I'll be able to help my people more.

It's strange to think of how I had come to this. It all started with being bored, lying on a bench in a silent garden. I had then become daring and curious for the world below. I suppose I should thank those perverted bandits, if not, I'd have never known Jack.

At these thoughts, I wish so badly to stare into his green eyes. Unfortunately, the blindfold is binding me to a sight of blue. I keep my head rested on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart beating and his warm breath tickling my hair. His body moves back and forth slightly with the movement of the horse, but the ride is still smooth.

About an hour later, Jack tells me that we will be arriving at our destination soon. I'm still clueless of where this is and I can't help but remain as silent as possible. This way, I'll be able to hear any sort of clue to what it could be.

Though the road remains quiet except for the sound of the horse's hooves drumming on the round and its heavy breathing.

Another ten minutes or so and a new noise starts to reach my ears. It's strange, I don't recognize it but it is familiar. I listen hard to the sound, trying my best to make it out. It's kind of like a bucket full of water being poured onto the ground. Except now, it is magnified so much that I can barely hear the horse's clamor.

It is then that a bizarre smell reaches my noise. I can't describe the sent but it somehow reminds me of salt – a lot of salt.

We begin to slow down to a trot as the sound and smell becomes louder and stronger. I suddenly hear the call of a bird squawking near by and its wings flap quickly and hard.

"Where are we?" I ask in confusion but Jack ignores my questions and starts fiddling around with the back of my head. I feel the knot in the blindfold become looser, and a moment later, the blue cloth falls from my face, landing onto my lap.

I gasp at the sight before me, my body going stiff with amazement. My eyes grow wide as I stare in wonder at the landscape. The cloudy sky makes the water look almost a slate color while a white seagull glides across the reckless surface. The waves crash down on the shore, causing the great noise from before. Foam appears upon the water as it quickly covers the shore, the noise growing softer until it's just a background. However, the powerful sound comes roaring back as the next wave forms and smashes onto the awaiting land below.

I notice the sand underneath the surface moving in a steady pattern with each movement of the ocean. Back and forth, back and forth…

"I know it isn't the most beautiful beach but…" Jack begins uneasily from behind me, though I can't respond, I'm too mesmerized. I slowly place one leg on the other side of the horse and slide down, all the while starring at the ocean before me.

My feet gently hit the ground below, and by the feel of it, I know it is a beach of tiny stones, not the normal sand most people imagine.

I look down for a second at the gray stones lying underneath me. As I continue to walk towards the waves, the smooth pebbles quickly turn to small grains of sand. It's when I feel a small thing of cold water lap at my toe do I finally look up. It is like my touching the water has made the ocean calmer. If it wasn't for the waves slowly roll their way onto shore and back again, it would have been almost placid. The water laps at my feet as if gesturing for me to come closer.

And so I take another step, completely enthralled by the beauty so much that I do not notice the chills running through me. Once I am ankle deep in the numbing yet welcoming water, I squat down – not caring one bit about the ocean getting the end of my dress wet.

I gently put my hand out on its slowly swaying surface. The water twists around my fingers in a soothing motion. I feel my heart get so light that I'm barely aware of it. A small smile spreads across my lips as I trace patterns on the surface of the water.

"Merry Christmas," Jack's warm and kind voices sounds from behind me. I look over my shoulder to see him standing a little ways off. With a friendly smile, he gazes at me with such love and affectionate eyes that it sends me soaring for a moment.

But I only smile at him before standing up, turning around to face him as I do so. The ocean continues to lap at my ankles and the end of my dress as I begin to walk towards him. The second I reach him I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him passionately on his lips. I gladly close my eyes while his arms wrap around my back. He kisses me back with just as much enthusiasm, if not more.

I suddenly feel a wave come roaring through and swiftly swimming past Jack and I. The back of me gets sprayed from the collision it has on my legs. The water even goes so far back that it gets Jack and I in knee-deep water! As the water starts to drift away, another wave comes soaring in, drenching us in more ice water.

Jack pulls his mouth off of mine, though is face is still close to me.

"I think the ocean wants you back," he says in a teasing voice.

I let out a little giggle before giving him a small peck on his lips. "I think it's going to have to wait its turn, it would be rude not to thank you for such a wonderful present."

"Y-y-yeah," Jack stutters and I finally notice how cold he must be. We're in the middle of winter standing in a freezing ocean! No wonder he's so frozen!

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaim with guilt filling up inside of me, "you must be freezing! I'm so sorry!"

"It's OK-," Jack attempts to reassure me but I won't let him.

"No, let me help you," I argue and cup his face in my hands. He looks at me with puzzlement but his expression soon changes to happiness. I am using a simple spell that sends warmth into the person, banishing the cold from his body.

He closes his eyes and lean into my hands, "Wow," he sighs, "that feels amazing."

"Glad you like it," I smile at him and he returns the gesture with a tight hug.

After I finally got his body temperature restored, I add "I think it would be best if we got out of the water."

"Good idea," he agrees with a grin. He then takes my hand and leads me out of the ocean. I look down at the water as it chases after my feet as if trying to pull me back. After a few more feet, the ocean finally gives up and falls back into its steady rhythm of swaying back and forth.

Jack and I sit down next to each other on the ground, leaning back on a large boulder near the far side of the beach. I snuggle close to him, placing my head on his shoulder and grateful again for his warmth.

He holds my hand gently in his, his thumb slowly moving in circles on mine. For some unknown reason, I look up at his soft face. His vivid green eyes stares out towards the sea, obviously in deep thought. A soft breeze sways his long blond hair, his bangs moving across his face in a graceful manner.

"Jack," I say his name softy with the sound of the waves gently rolling onto the shore in the background.

"Yes?" He replies, turning his gaze to me and giving me his full attention. A big smile spreads across my face as I wrap my arms around his waist and lean into him, giving him a tight hug.

"I love you," I breathe with complete sincerity, staring deeply into his eyes.

Instantly a warm, affectionate smile spreads across his face as he looks back down into my own eyes.

"I love you too," He whispers back to me and bends his face over, nuzzling my nose lightly.

Happiness fills up my heart and I get this familiar bliss and wonderful feeling. Each time he says those words these same emotions come jumping back into me. Fortunately, I welcome them with open arms, loving each moment of this relationship.

"But may I ask you something?" Jack suddenly questions, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to him.

"What is it?" I ask curiously.

"How could someone like _you_ possibly love somebody like _me_?" He blurts out in disbelief, pulling back a little bit and starring at me with confused eyes.

A perplexed expression crosses my face for a moment before I let out a little giggle.

"How could I not?" I grin with a light but truthful voice.

"Well…" Jack trails off, very serious about his question, "you're a goddess! You could have anyone you want, but yet you choose me? What makes me so special compared to those other people?"

I smile at him, not being able to hide the hint of amusement in my eyes.

"Jack," I begin in a very heartfelt voice, forcing the humor away. "I love you because you're you. You saved me from Ganondorf – making you brave. You're adventurous and funny, not to mention sweet."

"How am I sweet?" He asks with confusion.

"Because you gave me the best present ever. Most people aren't able to remember that I wanted to see the ocean, and since you did, it makes you sweet and caring," I smile at him warmly while putting my face closer to his again.

We're quiet for a second, staring at each other and waiting for the other to say something.

"Should I start on why I love you?" Jack offers with his goofy grin spread across his face.

I give a little giggle, "You don't have too."

"But I'd like to," he insists, cupping my face in his hands.

"I think a kiss is good enough," I grin back at him and he happily obliges.

I don't know what's in store for us, but something that Deus had said to me a long time ago suddenly rings in my head.

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

And as we ride home, reluctantly departing from the beautiful beach, I'm grateful for Jack. He's my love.

He's Farore's Love.

- - - -

_Author's Note:_

_Before I forget anything I did not come up with that quote at the end!! I found it online and it is by Ralph Waldo Emerson! Not me! I take no credit in it once so ever! (That goes the same for the lyrics in the beginning, not mine!)_

_OK, now that that's out of the way. We have finally reached the conclusion for Farore's Love, the LAST CHAPTER!! This one was kind of like an epilogue but I didn't want to title it as one. I'm not sure why, didn't really feel like it ^^;_

_Now time to talk about the next story. The sequel will be called "Farore's Puzzle." I'll most likely start on it next week (once holiday break comes, yay!) _

_For those of you who don't want to check on my page constantly or something else like that, then I'll post another chapter on here (on Farore's Love) with the link to it. That way it'll be easier._

_I just hope you will want to read it! A story isn't a story without its readers ^^_

_Speaking of which, I wish to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted. Each one made me want to finish this story even more than before! So thank you for every single one of my readers! I appreciate it very much ^^ I do wish that you enjoyed yourself while reading this! I sure did._

_I'll probably re-read my entire story and take notes on what I need to work on so I can improve. If anyone has any tips of something that I need to improve upon then please let me know, I'd be very happy ^_^_

_Hope to hear from you soon!_

_~~Wave~~_

**I do not own Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. Plot line and my OC's belong to me.**


	21. Author's Note

Author's Note:

I have just posted the first chapter for the sequel! It can easily be found on my page but I'll post the link for it right here:

.net/secure/story/story_?storyid=4746915&chapter=1

The summary for this story is: When Ganondorf goes missing, enemy gods get angry, and the races of Hyrule attack, you got to wonder how the goddesses deal with it. Now Jack and Farore have to find some way to stop it before it's too late.

I hope you enjoy it and feel free to tell me what you think! ^^

~~Wave~~


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